


Coming Home

by CommanderRaccoon13



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Angst, Catra Has Issues (She-Ra), Catra is a princess, Drama, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Halfmoon, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Canon, Shadow Weaver | Light Spinner (She-Ra)'s A+ Parenting, Sorry Not Sorry, There will be a happy ending, There will be alcohol use in later chapters, We Hate Shadow Weaver Here, catra has a family, catradora, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-12 21:21:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 37,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28767009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CommanderRaccoon13/pseuds/CommanderRaccoon13
Summary: It’s been one year since the events at the Heart. One year since they defeated Lord Prime and have settled into their lives in Brightmoon. Catra has Adora, their relationship is blooming, Catra has (dare she admit it) friends, is helping to rebuild the planet. Everything is perfect...except, maybe it isn’t.Catra has been having dreams. Dreams she can’t explain, featuring things and places she can’t put a name to. And she’s worked too damn hard to get here to let it all go down the drain because of some dumb nightmare.The only place that has answers? Halfmoon, the underground city of magicats that disappeared when the Horde first started taking over Etheria. Only problem is, they have no idea where that is or how to get there.And the answers they’re looking for...are they ones Catra can accept?
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Mermista/Sea Hawk (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra)
Comments: 59
Kudos: 321





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! I’ve been spending much of 2021 fully submerging myself into the She-Ra fan base and let me just say this... WHY THE HELL HAVEN’T I FOUND YOU ALL SOONER???? Why did it take me two years to get into this show? Why didn’t anyone tell me about it???
> 
> She-Ra is just...damn, this show is just amazing. My wife and I are already die hard fans and have been binging the show as much as we can. And as heartbreaking as we were to have to watch the end (all good things must come an end, right?) we’re just so over the moon about Catradora! It’s so refreshing to see a show that is as accepting and open about the LGBTQ+ community. It’s really let us fall in love with these characters. 
> 
> My wife absolutely loves Entrapta, but I’m all in on team Catra here, and I’ve been thinking why we never got much about Catra’s heritage in the show. So I thought I’d just write my own work about it. 
> 
> So here we are, with me obsessing over this story and raking out the first chapter in an hour because I cannot wait to share this with the fandom. Please let me know what you all think of this story, and I’m so excited to be writing this! 
> 
> Love you all! -CommanderRaccoon

Chapter One:

The visions always start out one of two ways. 

Tonight, she can feel herself running through the dark cavern, easily sliding around every sharp corner as if she grew up amongst the walls of the maze, had them memorized for a reason she could never think of.

There are very few sounds. Just her own labored panting as she runs towards something just out of her reach and the sound of her claws failing to find purchase on the hard rock under her feet. She never knows what she’s running towards. She just knows that she NEEDS to get to her unknown destination before anyone else, she HAS to. 

She’s never able to bring herself out of them either, an unwilling participant that has to see these things out from start to finish. She always has to feel the blinding panic building upside her, the ache in her young muscles as she pushes herself forward all with the need to get there as fast as she can. Only when she feels herself sliding around the last corner and into a blinding light does she snap out of it and wake with a start, mismatches eyes taking in every surrounding to try and assess if she was in any immoderate danger. 

And the danger never comes. It’s been almost a year since they defeated Prime, since the Horde had been dismantled and she settled into life in Brightmoon with Adora at her side. 

Adora.

Thanks to her enhanced eyesight, Catra can easily see the blonde’s form huddled under the blanket next to her, sleeping soundly and completely unaware of what the other woman has just gone through. Not that it surprises her. Adora could sleep through another war if she let herself, and Catra finds herself thankful that her girlfriend isn’t awake to see her shaking and sticky with sweat from tonight’s dream. 

While it has been a while since Prime and the Horde, Catra still is struggling to rid herself of the overwhelming guilt and anger she’s carried around with her for most of her life. But she is trying, just as she promised Adora she would. 

She’s been spending any time she can spare with Perfuma, taking the flower princess up on her offer to work with her through her…issues. Meditating isn’t as bad as she thought it would be. Catra actually finds herself meditating outside their sessions, enjoying being able to find some form of comfort and ease within herself after being so full of hatred for so long. Unfortunately for her, she still has her bad days. Days where she still feels the unease in her stomach when thinking about Shadow Weaver’s means of “punishing” her or when she feels the ghost of a shock over the scar on the back of her neck, always followed by the echo of Prime’s voice in her head reminding her that she would never be rid of him. Those days always meant she would be sure to experience one of these visions at night. 

Running a shaking hand through her thick mane, and thanking the stars that it’s starting to regrow some of its original length from where Prime had sheered it off almost a year ago, Catra slips out of the bed and into the adjoining bathroom of her and Adora’s room. She’d been given her own when they returned to Brightmoon, but neither she nor Adora had been successful in getting any sleep alone the first week or so. So Catra had been slipping into Adora’s room every night, the very few things she owned following her until it had been deemed their room. 

After splashing a little water on her face, only because she was desperate to wash the memories of the dream away, Catra let out a sigh as the last of the shakes left her body. This was a normal occurrence for her, to come and stand in the bathroom and stare at her reflection in the mirror as she waited for her heart rate to return to normal. 

She didn’t look that different. The same mismatched eyes stared back at her, and as much as she hated to admit it, the only difference was that they looked softer now. 

Thank the stars Adora isn’t here to hear me admit that. The blonde hero would never let her live it down if she found out that she was admitting she’d grown soft. Not that people couldn’t already tell that her hard exterior had started to fade away, after all she’d grown to love most of the people here in Brightmoon. 

Ugh. Gross. It’s too early to be thinking about these kinds of feelings.

A knock on the bathroom door startled her out of her thoughts, and after chancing a glance at herself in the mirror to make sure she looked halfway decent despite the things she’d been dreaming not long ago, she opened it to reveal a half asleep Adora looking her over with concern. “Hey, you okay?”

Nodding, Catra stepped back out into the bedroom, letting the door shut behind her quietly. “I’m fine. What are you doing up?”

Gray-blue eyes raked over her again, and if the blonde wasn’t looking at her with such concern, that would have made her shiver in anticipation. Adora’s attention was something she’d definitely had learned to love in this past year. 

“I woke up and you weren’t in bed. I heard the sink running. Are you sure you’re okay? You look a little…overwhelmed.”

It was true. She was overwhelmed. Each time she had one of these dreams it always took so much out of her, and Catra was crazy to think that she’d be able to hide that from Adora. Adora knew her better than that. 

Letting out another sigh, Catra stepped into the blonde’s personal space, letting her arms wrap around her girlfriend’s waist and her head settle just below the taller girl’s chin. This was also a common occurrence after one of these dreams, to find herself wrapped around Adora and breathing in as much as the taller girl’s scent as she could. They’d spent enough time dancing around each other and their feelings during the war. She’d never take Adora’s love for her for granted ever again. 

Even if that meant showing a little weakness here and there…

As the blonde’s arms came up to wrap around her back, Catra easily melted further into the hero, feeling any last unease from her dream fading away. 

“Another dream?”

Adora felt her girlfriend nod into her shoulder, her arms automatically tightening around the brunette. Catra hadn’t revealed much details about these dreams. The ones about the Horde and Prime she knew plenty about. Adora had her own fair share of those, but these types of dreams in particular always left her girlfriend mostly silent and more clingy than normal. 

And while she would never look a hug from Catra in the face an refuse it, it always made her heart ache to see such a strong person look so small and unanchored from herself. 

With practiced ease, Adora lifted the brunette into her arms and strode over to the bed, situating herself up against the frame while keeping Catra close to her chest. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“There’s not much to talk about. It’s same as it always is. I’m running through some stone maze and then there’s a bright light and it’s over.”

Running one hand through the brunette’s growing mane, stopping only to lightly run her fingers over the girl’s ears (something she knew comforted the girl, even if she would never admit that out loud), Adora frowned. “And you still can’t find anything identifying why you’re having these dreams? There’s nothing you can connect it to?”

“No. I don’t…it’s like I’m living it through someone else’s body. I don’t-.”

Adora tightened her arms around the smaller girl when her voice suddenly cut off, placing a light kiss to the brunette’s forehead. “Okay. We don’t have to talk about it anymore. Do you wanna try and get some more sleep?”

Feeling her girlfriends own arms slip around her waist, Adora settled herself against the pillows behind her, knowing that there would be no way of extracting her girlfriend from her arms for a while. Not that she minded. She’d sleep in the most awkward of places and the most uncomfortable positions if it meant bringing some kind of comfort to Catra. 

“Can we stay like this for a little while longer?”

Giving the brunette one last small squeeze, Adora nodded her head against the girl’s own, letting her eyes close as she rubbed absentminded circles on the brunette’s shoulder. Soon enough she heard Catra’s breath even out, but didn’t dare move her from her arms. 

Not for the first time, Adora’s stomach flopped in the worst ways as she thought about Catra’s dream. Something was obviously plaguing the other girl’s mind, something that neither had any answers to. And they obviously couldn’t keep going on like this. 

Between spending most of their days helping rebuild Etheria, sleep was crucial. Adora wasn’t expecting leaps and bounds when it came to her and Catra working through their abundant issues, but she was growing more and more worried for her girlfriend with every night that ended like this. 

Something was wrong, and while Catra was always quick to reassure her that she was fine and the dreams would eventually stop, Adora’s gut was telling her that maybe it was time they bring in some outside help. 

In the morning, before they headed off in their separate directions to do their daily work, she would speak to Catra about asking King Micah for his advice. He’d been so welcoming this past year, always willing to lend a ear when Adora needed to vent something to someone outside of the Best Friends Squad. Hopefully he could help them figure out how to let Catra sleep a little easier.  
As sleep edged into the corners of her mind, Adora tightened her grip around Catra once more before letting herself succumb to her dreams, dreams that always featured Adora making one last promise to her girlfriend. 

She could only hope that her future plans to ask Catra to marry her would work out as well as they did in her dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Adora meet with Micah and get an idea of what they're dealing with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! So, wow. Just one chapter, a little over 1,000 words and this story has already gotten so much love! It means so much to me that everyone is enjoying this story! 
> 
> Here's the next chapter as promised. I'm also going to so straight through and work on chapter three after I post this, because I know the first and this chapter are kinda short but we're fixing to get heavily into the story starting next chapter so hopefully they'll be just a bit fuller. I hope to get the next one up later today if I can. 
> 
> I can't make much promises on how regular I will update after today. Classes start back this week at my university, and while I only have one in-person class, I am taking three more online and I'll be trying to divide my time up between my classes, work and this. 
> 
> Let me know what you all think! Love you guys!

“I’m just not sure exactly what Sparkles father can do. I mean, they’re just dreams, Adora. There’s nothing special about them.”

The blonde rolled her eyes as she and Catra strode through the hallways of Brightmoon on their way to the library, reaching out to catch one of the brunette’s hands and tangling their fingers together. “I just…I have this feeling in my gut that they’re more than just dreams. Besides, even if they are, at least Micah might be able to help us figure out a way get them to stop you can catch up on some sleep.”

Feeling a tug on her hand Adora stopped just shy of pushing the library doors open, turning to look over her shoulder at familiar mismatched eyes that never failed to make her heart flutter within the confines of her chest. Catra was smirking at her, one eyebrow raised in that way that Adora knew she’d just given the other girl the best ammunition to tease the blonde with. 

“Did you say it could help us?”

Catra watched as Adora’s cheeks reddened. Even after a year of being together, the brunette would never pass up on an opportunity to tease Adora when she said something so cheesy. Even if Catra would never admit that those things Adora said always made the butterflies in her stomach flutter much like they were in this moment. The blonde had stepped closer to her, reaching up with her free hand to brush her fingers across the brunette’s jaw.

“Well, yeah. We’re in this together.”

Before the moment could continue, the doors to the library opened and revealed Glimmer halfway through a sentence. The Queen stopped, however, when she noticed the two women standing just outside the doorway and how close they were standing to each other. 

“Seriously?! We’ve been waiting on you two for over half an hour and this is what you’ve been doing? Making out in the hallway?”

Rolling her eyes good naturedly, Catra stepped away from Adora and brushed past Glimmer into the library. “Relax, Sparkles. We weren’t making out. Just talking.”

From somewhere behind her, Catra heard Adora huff as she followed the brunette and smiled to herself as she took in the small group consisting of the king, Bow and Glimmer that had gathered in one small portion of the library. She was silently thanking the stars for Micah suggesting this to Adora. She hadn’t wanted to talk about her issues to anyone, but she was doing this for Adora and was glad she wasn’t going to have to do it in front of the guards that were always present when the king was around.

True to his word, Micah was already there, skimming through a book laid out in front of him, an entire pile sitting on the table next to him. He glanced up at the sound of other voices, smiling warmly as everyone automatically paired off into their respective couples. He’d liked of the boy who had apparently managed to capture his daughter’s heart right away and had been over the moon when Bow had appeared at a council meeting wearing one of his daughter’s earrings signaling their engagement. But he also found himself quite fond of the two girls that made up the other half of the “best friend squad”. He’d watched them, two people so similar and so different at the same time, grow stronger together over the course of the year and wondered when they would be sharing their tokens and getting engaged themselves. “Good morning, ladies. I would share pleasantries, but Glimmer has grown restless in the past few minutes, so should we just skip those and get right to the point?”

Catra and Adora shared a look before nodded, Catra filling in Micah on everything that had been happening in her dreams, leaving no details out and feeling dread settle in her stomach as she slowly watched the king’s face twist into concern the more she spoke. 

After what seemed like an eternity of silence after Catra finished speaking, Micah eventually closed the book he’d been reading as she looked between the two girls sitting across from him. “To be honest with you, I hadn’t expected to be able to identify this right off the back. However, it sounds like what Catra is dealing with is a mind block.”

Glimmer sat up from where she’d been slouching in her chair as she listened to Catra reveal everything to her father. She and Bow had witnessed one or two of these dreams the brunette had, but she hadn’t expected her father’s answer to be something that meant someone had used dark magic on her friend. “What? But Dad, that’s-.”

Her father nodded, sharing a look of sympathy with his daughter. He’d been teaching Glimmer everything he could about sorcery, leaving out much of what Shadow Weaver had taught him in favor of making sure that his daughter never knew exactly what that terrible woman had done in the name of magic. 

Turning his attention back to the other two girls in the room who were wearing confused looks as they held a silent conversation. He readied himself for the coming conversation, knowing firsthand how hard it was to hear that someone had used your body for something as terrible as dark magic. “Allow me to explain, please. There are certain aspects to sorcery that divulge into areas that are strictly prohibited by the Sorcerer’s Guild at Mystacor. The use of this kind of magic would mean automatic termination from the guild. We refer to it as dark magic, something I know you two have experienced in your life.”

Feeling Catra tense up next to her, Adora rested on hand on the brunette’s knee and squeezed lightly as she connected the dots on her own. Shadow Weaver had been the one thing they silently agreed to never talk about unless they had to. The woman had been the center of many arguments they’d had at the beginning of their relationship and while they always found their way to one another, Adora preferred to never have another one of those arguments with Catra again. It’s why they agreed to deal with their issues over the deceased woman separately, with whatever outside help they both had been getting.

“A mind block is a spell that has been outlawed by the guild for thousands of years now. It’s used to remove memories and even parts of a person from their own mind. I’ve only ever read about how the spell is cast, but it’s not pretty. It takes a lot of energy, magic, and its effects sometimes end up killing the person it’s being casted on. I also don’t know how to remove the block, if that is indeed something Catra is suffering from. I can get in touch with my sister at Mystacor and ask the guild if they can help. If anything, they can give you definite answers as to what is plaguing you.”

After sharing a look with the blonde that consisted of a nod, Catra let Adora make the arrangements with Micah, too busy thinking about the information that had just been dropped into her lap and missed everyone exiting the library until a hand on her shoulder pulled her out of her thoughts. 

“Hey, you okay?” 

Taking a shaky breath, the brunette shrugged a shoulder, not entirely sure how she was feeling about everything. Her mind kept coming back to the idea of these dreams being memories, but she couldn’t come up with any explanation as to why someone would have tried to remove them. None of it was making much sense and only paving the way for a heavy headache to make its home in her temples. 

Adora’s heart clenched as she watched her girlfriend struggled, her eyebrows pinched together in obvious annoyance and confusion. She’d promised to take care of Catra when they were younger and she would continue to do so through whatever this was, but she would be lying if she said she had hoped these were just dreams Catra was experiencing. They both had been so through so much. Didn’t they deserve a break? Just this once?

Bending down so that she could see blue and golden eyes more clearly, Adora ran her hands up the brunette’s legs until they were gently covering the other girl’s hands. “Catra, I promise that whatever happens, you won’t have to do it alone.”

Seeing some of the tension reside from the brunette’s shoulders, Adora gave her girlfriend one last smile of encouragement before pressing a kick kiss to her forehead and righting herself. “Come on. We can skip paperwork for one day. Let’s go for a walk through the garden and clear our minds.”

When the familiar weight of Catra’s hand settled into her own, Adora pulled the brunette out of the library and in their intended direction, wanting nothing more than to take her girlfriend’s mind off of everything for a while before they were plunged back into this mess. She'd do anything for the woman walking beside her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The best friend squad arrives as Mystacor and are given answer. Catra's dream is revealed in full.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnd here we go. Just as promised, chapter three. 
> 
> This chapter dives straight into the storyline and I've tried to add as much detail as I can without spoiling for our beloved characters. I am going to put in a warning that is brief mention of torture in this chapter, it's mostly refined to the parts that are italicized if you need to skip it. 
> 
> I absolutely hated writing Catra in pain, but it was necessary and I'm hoping to lighten the load on our girl's shoulders within the next few chapters before I have to plunge her back into it all. 
> 
> Let me know what you all think. I'm going to try and update as often as I can. Thank you all so much for the continued support and love for this story!

Catra can remember the first time she’d tagged along with the best friend squad to Mystacor. It had been a few months after they defeated Lord Prime, and each one of them had been so caught up in paperwork or traveling to different territories to try and lend a hand (or She-Ra in Adora’s case) that they had barely spoken to each other. Glimmer had been the first to break, immediately calling for an emergency meeting between the four of them and declaring that they were going to Mystacor for a week on vacation. Adora had been so excited about it that Catra didn’t dare try to get out of it. However, she hadn’t been prepared for how they were supposed to get to Mystacor. And seeing Adora and the others jump off a cliff and disappear into the fog had made her heart jump into her throat. They hadn’t stopped teasing her about the noise she made the entire week they were there, and she only threated to mildly cause them harm. That week remained one of the best in Catra’s life.

This time, Catra was as unrelaxed as she could get. They’d been ushered into a private room the second they’d stepped into the main building, many of the sorcerer’s already have been filled in when they spoke to King Micah. There were people rushing around getting everything set up, and Catra could feel the anxiety sinking into her bones as her tail swished behind her with enough speed that it kept messing up whatever grinded up dust a younger girl in robes was placing around her cot.

She wasn’t alone, though. Adora, Bow and Glimmer were standing on the opposite side of the room leaning against the wall as they talked quietly amongst themselves. Melog was standing dutifully by her girlfriend, where Catra had asked him to remain, the blonde placing scratches over their ears occasionally.

Catra wanted nothing more than to have Adora by her side, but they’d been told she would have to remain inside the circle alone if they wanted accurate results. Besides, she could do this without the blonde. They’d spent years away from each other during the war. She could manage one moment without having to hold the girl’s hand.

Adora, on the other side of the room, was trying to convince herself of the same thing. She could see how anxious Catra was, with her tail hitting the cot next to her with a soft thump and the girl’s ears were flattened against her head. The blonde was physically fighting against the instructions to remain where she was instead of running over to her girlfriend. She knew Catra needed to do this part on her own, but Adora would give up everything to take away any ailment from her. They’d hurt each other enough, and Adora might be making up for the years they were on opposite sides of the war, but she’d spend the rest of her life making sure that Catra knew how much she loved and cared for her.

“Have you proposed to her yet?”

Bow’s question pulled the blonde’s attention away from her girlfriend to look over at the boy, her eyes automatically landing on one of Glimmer’s earrings hanging from his ear. She’d been so happy for them when they told her the good news, even if she hadn’t understood what being engaged meant. They both promptly filled her in on the new subject, even going as far as explaining to her what marriage was as well. In the Horde, they had been instructed to never have relationships or commitments. It was an unwanted distraction from their duties as soldiers. They were expected to give their lives for the Horde, and that meant not having any ties to anyone else.

Of course, Catra and her had blown right through that rule even as friends. Their friendship had been frowned upon by many, the most vocal about it being Shadow Weaver, but neither girl had let it drive a wedge between them. Well, at least not until Adora found the sword, but that was besides the point. Adora had never thought Catra would reciprocate her feelings, let alone that they’d find themselves here so many years later together. But now that they were, all Adora could think about was asking Catra to spend the rest of their lives together.

“Uh, no. Not yet. I haven’t exactly found the right time.”

Bow raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest as he smiled at the blonde. “Well have you at least figured out what token you’re going to give her?”

Adora’s hand instantly went up to caress the golden pin she’d adopted once she defected from the Horde. It was the first thing Angella had given to her when she joined the rebellion, and it was still one of the very few things she considered to be precious to her. She’d come from the Horde with very little in the way of sentimental things and hadn’t acquired much more since. If there was anything that she thought would be a perfect representation of wanting to spend eternity with Catra, it was that pin. “I was thinking about my pin. I don’t exactly have much, at least not something that she can keep with her. Do you guys think that would be okay?”

From the other side of Bow, Glimmer reached out her hand to grasp Adora’s. “It’s perfect, Adora. I’m sure she’d be more than happy to wear it.”

As the two girls stared at each other, tears gathering in their eyes as they both knew the upspoken words being spoken between the two of them. Besides it being one of the few things Adora had kept, it had been given to her by Angella, who had treated the blonde like one of her own children. It meant the world to Glimmer that Adora’s most prized possession was something her mother had given her. It meant that the woman’s legacy in Adora’s life would live on with that pin.

“Okay, so we’re all set up and they’re fixing to start the process. If there’s a mind block on Catra, we’ll be able to find it. We might also be able to break it. However, the process is a bit…overwhelming. To see things that were forced to be repressed can be a little daunting on the mind. When we’re finished, Catra may be more reserved than normal. That’s expected. Don’t push her for more than what she’s willing to give.”

Adora nodded in response to what Glimmer’s aunt was telling her, her eyes locking with Catra’s over the woman’s shoulder. She tried to convey everything she wanted to tell her girlfriend from where she was with an encouraging smile. Everything would be okay. She was here if Catra needed her.

With a somewhat shaky breath, Catra allowed her eyes to close as she’d been told, trying to control her heart rate and breathing as the sorcerers around her began doing whatever it was they needed to help figure out what the hell was wrong with her. She could feel the magic, the air around her sizzling and crackling with energy and it tickled against her fur like it did when Melog would hide them using his magic or when she was close to Adora when she transformed into She-Ra. The feeling still sent a shiver up her spine, but other than that feeling of magic and a brief flare up of her headache that had been present since yesterday’s meeting with Micah, nothing else was happening.

“I don’t get it. Isn’t this supposed to help?”

Catra couldn’t help the bite to her voice. She’d been on edge all day and wanted to get this over with as quick as possible. Patience was never one of her best virtues.

“It seems as if Micah was correct about the mind block. It is indeed dark magic, but it’s the type of dark magic that has been cast using a power source that’s preventing us to breaking it.”

Cracking one eye open to glare at the woman who had answered her question, whose name she hadn’t been bothered to remember when they introduced themselves upon their arrival. There were too many of them and Catra had more important things on her mind. “What the fuck does that mean?”

The woman rolled her eyes, looking over towards Sparkle’s aunt, who took over explaining as she broke from the circle to step forwards slightly. “It means that this mind block was placed by someone who was tapping into a specific type of magic that we can’t break. Judging by the strength of it, it’s from the magic of a runestone.”

Adora pushed herself off the wall, shoulders tensing slightly. “I thought only princesses had connections to runestones and their magic?”

“Not necessarily. Anyone cap tap into a runestone’s magic, but they wouldn’t have an established connection like the princesses do. Think of it as a parasite. Whoever uses the runestone without a connection would end up dying if they tried to use another source of magic, while a princess has a symbiotic relationship, as they each take and give.”

Catra didn’t need any more explained to her. There was only one person who fit that type of description, and she couldn’t bring herself to voice Shadow Weaver’s name out loud. Judging by the now despondent look on Adora’s face, she must have figured it out as well.

“How do we fix it?”

No, Catra thought, Adora had definitely figured it out. If the hard tone of her voice and the way the blonde’s fists were clenched tightly by her sides were anything to go by.

“For a mind block like this, we would need to know which runestone had been used.”

Finding a small bit of courage somewhere inside herself, Catra cleared her throat as she glared down at the floor, making sure not to look at anyone. She wasn’t sure she would be able to keep it together if she did. While she had managed to work through some of her issues, they were still present and subject to flare ups. Shadow Weaver was the root of most of them, and Catra had let herself believe that she was finally free from that woman. Yet here she was, still under Shadow Weaver’s ever-present thumb. “It was the black garnet.”

Castaspella herself seemed to finally connect the dots herself, and her heart was hurting for the girl sitting in the center of the room. She had seen how dejected Micah was after Light Spinner had tricked him into casting the spell that had her removed from the guild. She understood that Catra and Adora had it much worse from the woman, and not for the first time, the sorcerer found herself wishing that the dark spot that was Light Spinner had been removed from this life long before it had.

“I may be able to try and break through it. I can’t make any promises. I’m not particularly well executed in dealing with this type of magic, but I can try. If that’s something you wish.”

Nodding her head, Catra resigned herself to more magical torture as she felt the spike of magic around her. This time, though, the ache in her head magnified even more, causing her to claws to dig into the cot below her. Sparkles aunt hadn’t mentioned that this would cause her pain, but then again, this was Shadow Weaver’s doing. She should have guessed the woman would make removing the block painful for her.

It was as if she could hear the evil woman’s laughter ringing in her ears.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the ache resided only to be replaced by a bright light that knocked the air from her lungs. The outline of buildings and stone carvings were beginning to form behind her eyes, and she thought she could make out Adora’s voice calling out to her from somewhere, but Catra was too caught up in whatever she was seeing.

Once again, she found herself running past high stone walls, racing around corners and feeling familiar panic settle in her chest as she glanced up to see where her dream would usually end. Only this time, she didn’t wake up. Her feet kept pushing her towards the light and she suddenly found herself standing at the edge of the Fright Zone, her eyes scanning the area for something she didn’t know she was looking for until they settled on something just a few feet from her.

Two Horde soldiers were dragging a small person by their arms back towards the Horde’s main buildings, and Catra would have recognized Shadow Weaver’s figure from any angle. Gone was the sense of anger and fear that she usually experienced when seeing the woman, the same old panic making her respond before she could stop herself.

_“No! Stop! Don’t touch her!”_

Her voice sounded different, much higher and at an octave she’d never heard it in. She sounded _younger_.

Shadow Weaver turned towards her, her scowl present even through the mask that she wore. Catra had begun to take a few hesitant steps forward until the woman had turned, now she was frozen in fear, watching as her old mentor strode over to her slowly. _“What do we have here? Who are you, child?”_

Even if Catra wanted to speak to her, and she didn’t, she couldn’t. Her entire body had tensed up and she could feel her heart beating franticly in her chest.

_“Are you deaf? I said speak!”_

_“My name is Catra. And if you don’t let her go, I’ll…I’ll kill all three of you!”_

This version of herself had somehow managed to come up with enough courage to make the threat, although Catra knew she couldn’t take all three of them on at once. Shadow Weaver herself she could probably take on her own, but not with two Horde soldiers that easily towered over her standing off to the side.

The brunette could Shadow Weaver’s eyes narrow just slightly before she waved Catra off, almost absentmindedly as she turned her attention back to the Horde soldiers. _“Grab this one as well. We can’t have her running off and telling anyone about the younger one.”_

Feeling another spout of panic, Catra did the only thing she could think of. She pounced and landed heavily and ungracefully on the shoulders of the horde solider closest to her, using his body as momentum to throw herself past Shadow Weaver’s retreating form and onto the back of the remaining solider. The small person, who Catra just now realized looked like her (she hadn’t seen any other person her entire life that looked like her), was instantly dropped as the solider tried to pull Catra off his head.

Turning to look down at the person she just rescued, Catra met golden eyes and although she couldn’t figure out where she recognized them, she managed to avoid the fist of the solider she was clinging to long enough to release him and drop to the ground. _“Run!”_

Catra wasn’t sure if she was yelling the command at the small girl she saved or herself, but she quickly grabbed the smaller girl’s arm and took off in the direction she originally came from, ignoring the sounds of footsteps falling close behind them.

A familiar crack of energy had her stopping though, just long enough to push the small girl forward a few feet before her limbs seized up and she was paralyzed as pain rippled through her body.

Through her groans of pain, Catra managed to catch the scared gaze of the other girl, who was half crouched on the ground before her, the girl’s ears flattened against her head completely and golden eyes wide. _“Go! Ugh! Run! Get back to the gates and don’t stop!”_

The small girl hesitated, and with one last plea from Catra she was off, disappearing around a large rock formation and out of sight. If Catra wasn’t still paralyzed by Shadow Weaver’s black tendrils of magic and if the red lightning wasn’t forcing her mind to face in and out of consciousness due to the pain, she would have sighed in relief. At least the girl was out of harm’s way, although the brunette wasn’t sure why she was so hell bent on saving her.

Shadow Weaver once again filled her vision, and the last thing she could make out as she felt the darkness slipping into her mind was the woman’s voice sending shivers down her spine. _“You’ll pay for this, you insolent creature!”_

* * *

Adora wrestled hopelessly against Bow and Glimmer’s hands and arms holding her back. She didn’t care that Castaspella had instructed that no one enter the circle until Catra woke back up. Her girlfriend was screaming out in pain and like hell she was just going to stand here and let that happen without doing something, anything. Each scream and whimper were like a knife to her heart, sending tears that clouded her vision.

Just when the blonde managed to break through her friend’s hold, Catra had sat up with a pained gasp, successfully ending the spell. Adora had wasted no time rushing past the sorcerers to her girlfriend’s side, reaching the brunette just as she slumped forward and managing to catch her before she fell off the cot.

From behind her, Adora could hear Castaspella ushering everyone out of the room and she made a mental note to thank the woman later for giving them the privacy. Now, though, all her attention was on the sobbing woman in her arms. She tightened her hold on the brunette with one arm, using the other to push sweaty locks of hair away from her face. “It’s okay. I have you. It’s over, Catra. It’s okay.”

Letting her own tears fall silently, Adora simply held the brunette until her sobs receded into mere hiccups, watching as Melog jumped onto the cot behind the other girl, a low comforting purr vibrating the mattress below them. She refused to remove her arms from Catra, wanting to bring the girl as much comfort as she could by keeping her close and knowing that doing this would help her girlfriend more than words would.

After a few more minutes, Adora could feel the brunette’s body relax slightly against her chest, loosening her arms just enough to meet mismatched eyes as Catra pulled back to look up at her. “I am never doing that again.”

The blonde let out a water laugh, pulling the feline back to her body in another hug. Leave it to her girlfriend to make a joke after all that. “Are you okay?”

Catra shrugged a shoulder, not having the energy to do much anything else as she stayed pressed up against Adora’s chest, one hand reached out to rest against the side of Melog’s head. She’d been telling the blonde the truth. There was no force on this planet or any other one that could persuade her to go through whatever the hell that was again. “I saw the dream again. I even saw her again. She…she used her magic on me, like she used to when we-.”

Her voice suddenly caught on the uncomfortable lump in her throat, the arms around her tightening slightly. She didn’t dare finish that sentence. She didn’t need to. Adora knew what she was referring to and she was thankful that the blonde wasn’t pushing her for any more details.

Not that she could begin to explain everything that she saw. She was still processing it herself, reliving everything over and over again as it played on repeat at the front of her mind. All she knew was that this memory gave nothing away other than that Shadow Weaver had always been a manipulative bitch, playing the role of the villain in even her most repressed and forgotten memories.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While on their way back to Brightmoon, the gang ends up meeting Razz in the Whispering Woods and she has her own information to give to the four of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I wasn't planning on updating again today, but I literally could not stop writing once I started on this chapter. I'm planning on at least starting chapter five once I'm done posting this one, so who knows...I might even get that one up tonight as well! I'm loving writing this story. And I'm absolutely loving writing Catra and Adora. I'm always so scared to write any fanfics about my favorite ships because I'm afraid I won't be able to do them justice and capture them, but it's almost too easy to write them together. 
> 
> Let me know what you all think of this chapter as well!

Adora was trying not to be smothering. She really was.

But Catra had been unusually quiet since last night. They had all agreed to spend the night on the floating island before making the trek back to Brightmoon, and the brunette had crashed almost as soon as Adora had carried her into their room and placed her on their bed.

This morning she had managed a small smile that she threw Adora’s way before they headed out, two hours ago, and had remained silent the entire time.

Adora was trying _super_ hard not to corner her and make her talk. She didn’t want to be that type of girlfriend. Not to mention that this was something Catra used to do when they were younger. After a particularly rough day, when their team hadn’t done as well as they should have in simulation or other training and Catra had ended up disappearing with Shadow Weaver for a few hours, the girl would always come back and remain silent for a day or two. Adora didn’t want to imagine what Shadow Weaver had did to her girlfriend to cause the silence and she never asked.

Only that was then, and this was now. She knew exactly how much harm Shadow Weaver had been capable of causing and knew that the woman had targeted Catra on more than one occasion while they were growing up. She may not know exactly everything the brunette had experienced, but she knew none of it was good. That’s exactly why Adora wasn’t pushing Catra to speak just yet. She’d let them get back to Brightmoon and if her girlfriend was still silent, she would speak to her privately.

“Hey, Adora, I think we missed the turn off to Brightmoon a few miles back. I don’t recognize this part of the woods.”

Tearing her attention from her girlfriend, Adora glanced back towards where Glimmer was looking around in obvious confusion. Sure enough, the blonde didn’t recognize this part of the Whispering Woods either. They’d taken to marking certain trees with fabric to easily navigate through the woods on their numerous journeys across Etheria after Prime’s defeat to lend help where they could and there wasn’t a scrap of fabric around to be seen. She’d been too caught up in her thoughts that she must have missed the trail’s markings. “Sorry. I guess I was distracted. Let’s head back and see if we can find the trail.”

Many minutes passed by of the foursome trekking back through the woods when Adora caught the familiar sight of a flock of butterflies rushing past her. It had been some time she visited Razz, or rather when Razz visited her as the elderly woman always managed to find her first. She’d been so busy that she hadn’t thought to check up on her friend recently and she felt slightly guilty about that. She also hadn’t had the chance to introduce Catra to Razz just yet.

Ignoring Bow and Glimmer’s questioning looks, Adora veered off from the group, trying to keep up with the flock of butterflies, avoiding tree roots and rocks until she stumbled into a familiar clearing. Sitting against the back part, nestled against the woods was Razz’s cottage, the elderly woman sweeping the dusty ground around the opening of her house while humming absentmindedly. It was a sight that brought a smile to Adora’s face.

“Madame Razz!”

The white-haired woman glanced up from her sweeping, her huge eyes magnified by her glasses blinking as she took in Adora’s form making its way towards her, the other four members of her party following behind her. “Mara, darling! I didn’t know it was pie day just yet! You should have called me!”

Adora let out a fond laugh as she swept the elderly woman up in an affectionate hug. “It’s good to see you, Razz. We kinda got lost in the woods and stumbled up on you. How are you?”

The woman waved the blonde off, resting her broom against the side of her house as she entered the cottage, the others trailing behind her. “I’m fine, Mara dear. I think I have a few berries left from our last berry picking adventure left. I can whip up a pie!”

Adora followed the woman through the small area of her home, letting Razz fill her arms with things. “Razz, I wanted to introduce you to someone. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to bring her sooner, we’ve all just been so busy.”

The blonde watched as the elderly woman began combining things into a bowl before turning to look at the other four in the cottage. Glimmer and Bow smiled and said their respective greetings while Melog let out a _mrrmp_ from his place beside Catra, who looked rather odd standing so tensely. “Oh, Mara you didn’t tell me you were dating Queen C’yra! What would her husband think?”

Adora frowned, glancing between her friends and the white-haired woman. “Uh, Razz. I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

Without looking up from where she was mixing things in her bowl, Razz pointed a finger in Catra’s direction. “That’s Queen C’yra, Mara dearie. Can’t you see her or does Razz need to get you glasses so you can see better?”

Sharing a look with her girlfriend, who was looking like Razz had grown a second head, Adora cleared her throat. “Razz, that’s Catra. My girlfriend and she isn’t married.”

This time the woman did look up, her eyes squinting in Catra’s direction as she fiddled with the glasses on her face before she let out a huff. “Mara, that is Queen C’yra. The queen of the magicats and Halfmoon. Why do you not remember this, Mara? You’ve met her before.”

Catra was at a lost for words as she listened to old crone ramble on past the subject of who she’d been mistaken for, her headache returning.

Castaspella has informed her that the block had been removed from her mind, but that every memory that had been repressed wouldn’t come back all at once. It would probably take a while for her to remember everything other than just her the one she experienced back at Mystacor. That information hadn’t set well with the brunette. The headache that had taken up residence in her temples had only strengthened tenfold after they removed the block, and every time she thought back to yesterday’s events it would flare up. They’d given her leaves to chew on to help numb the pain, but she was too tired to pull them out of her pack.

She wanted nothing more than to go back to her and Adora’s room back in Brightmoon and curl up with the blonde for a few days, not to be here in a random cottage in the middle of the Whispering Woods being mistaken for some random queen by an old crone who couldn’t even get her girlfriend’s name right.

Thankfully, the old woman was shoving a covered pie into Adora’s hands and ushering them all back out into the woods, saying her goodbyes to each of them and making Adora promise to come and visit her sometime soon for another berry picking adventure.

The rest of the walk back to Brightmoon was in silence once again, only this time Adora wasn’t glancing Catra’s way every few seconds. The brunette didn’t mind that her partner was obviously worried about her. She was honestly worried about herself, but she was still processing everything and didn’t know how to explain everything she relived.

The four split up once they reached the castle, Bow and Glimmer heading off to the library to see if they could fig up anything on what Razz had told them while Catra felt Adora take up residence against her side as she made her way to their shared room. Melog had telepathically told her they would be in the garden if she needed them, and she’d patted them on the head before they disappeared around the corner of the hallway.

The two moved around the room with practiced ease, changing out of the clothes and into something for sleep as if they’d been dancing this dance for years now. Much of it had returned to them after Prime, muscle memories of their childhood years kicking back in. The only difference they had to accustom themselves to was their step forward into a romantic relationship. Even then it hadn’t taken them long to settle into together.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Catra paused halfway through pulling a tank top over her head, thankful that she had her back turned to Adora so she couldn’t see the grimace she was sure she made. She still didn’t want to talk about it, if only to keep the constant headache away, but she knew that the longer she kept Adora in the dark the more the blonde would eat herself up with worry. “I saved somebody. In my memory. I saved a little girl from being taken by the Horde. I don’t remember who it was. I was…young, I guess, when it all happened.”

After slipping the tank down, Catra turned to find Adora perched on the edge of their bed, worry etched into the lines of her frown. It warmed the brunette’s body every time she thought or remembered just how important she was to her blonde counterpart.

When the blonde patted the empty spot next to her, the brunette took hopped on the bed, resting her head in Adora’s lap with her face pressed into the other girl’s stomach. If she wasn’t suffering from the world’s worst headache, she would be voicing her appreciate for those well-defined muscles, but Adora’s scent was bringing her comfort and helping to sooth the constant thumping in her head so she would refrain from doing that for now.

“You were remembering something from when you were a kid?”

The brunette nodded, not bothering to try and quiet the purr that had started rumbling in her chest when Adora’s hand began to run through her mane. “I’m not sure how young. How old were you when we met? It was obviously before then.”

Adora frowned, trying to come up with an exact age to when Shadow Weaver had introduced the two of them. They had been given dates to mark their ages, usually when they joined the Horde, but whether it was the exact dates of their birthdays she didn’t know. “I think I was around six or so. I honestly don’t remember.”

“She looked like me.”

The blonde glanced down to her girlfriend, waiting for the brunette to explain further, smiling slightly as the girl’s purr increased in volume as she lightly scratched her nails in the fur behind a black ear.

“Like she had ears and a tail and stuff. I’ve never seen anyone else like me before.”

Now that Adora thought about it, she hadn’t seen anyone like Catra before either. No one in the Horde had traits like the brunette and even when she defected and explored many regions of the planet, she had yet to see anyone else like Catra. “Neither I have. But that’s what makes you so special.”

Rolling her eyes behind closed eyelids, Catra let a small smile grace her lips as she burrowed her face further into the fabric of Adora’s shirt. “Shut up.”

The blonde giggled, leaning down to place a kiss on the brunette’s cheek before thinking back to the information Razz had given them. She’d mentioned something about magicats. Could that be what Catra was? That still didn’t explain why they’d never seen anyone else like the brunette before.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so…you know, quiet.”

Adora let out a sigh, stilling her hand midway in a pass through the girl’s hair. “Catra, you don’t have to apologize for needing time to think things through. Especially not after everything that’s happened in the past few days. It’s a lot to take in.”

A blue eye cracked open to meet Adora’s own, slightly glazed over with tears. “I just didn’t want you to worry.”

Wiping at a stray tear that managed to fall with her thumb, Adora smiled sadly down at her girlfriend as she cradled her jaw with her free hand. “I’ll always worry about you, babe. It’s my job to.”

Silence passed between the two girls as they sat, each letting their own thoughts consume them until they eventually repositioned themselves on the bed so that they were facing each other, limbs tangled together and both girls drifted off into slumber, both wondering where the information that they’d been given would lead them tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bow and Glimmer find information about Halfmoon and Queen C'yra. Adora and Catra share a few moments and a conversation about their past selves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I'm just flying through this story tonight, guys. It's currently 2:30 in the morning here and I'm wide awake. But there's honestly only three ways I'd prefer to be spending nights like this (I have insomnia, so this is a regular occurrence for me). Watching She-Ra, reading fanfics or writing this fanfic. 
> 
> Can I just say that my heart was melting as I wrote the adorable fluff you're about to encounter below? Seriously, I was giddy as I wrote this chapter. I wanted to give some lightness amongst the storm that I'm throwing our girls into, and while there's still plot in here I had to include these cute moments of Catradora. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did! Next chapter, we're heading off to Halfmoon and meeting other magicats!

If there’s one thing Catra loves more than anything else in this crazy world, it’s mornings with Adora.

While she’s still subject to random kicks to the ribs from the blonde’s bouts of sleep fighting, the hero was the perfect picture of tranquility in the mornings. Adora had claimed the side of the bed that didn’t get direct sunlight, letting Catra claim that side because she mentioned loving the way the light warmed up her fur. That meant, however, that once Catra awoke in the mornings before the blonde (she was still on the Horde’s sleeping schedule and woke up with the first few rays of light shining through their room) she had the most beautiful view she could have been graced with: Adora’s features being more defined in the light.

Sure, it was something else to see She-Ra and her always ethereal glow that followed her around, but it was moments like these that always made Catra’s heart thump wildly in her chest. Adora just looked so _beautiful_ in the morning light, and there were times Catra was afraid that she would wake up one morning back in her room in the Fright Zone, that this had all been a cruel dream and that she would have to go back to fighting against the woman she loved. 

“You’re watching me sleep again.”

Blinking a few times, Catra realized she’d been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn’t realized the blonde had awoken and was now looking at her with that goofy smile that her hero wore so often. “Can’t help it. You’re beautiful.”

The smile on Adora’s face brightened, if that was even possible as she leaned forward to rest her head against the brunette’s, who began to purr at the contact. It was such an intimate gesture that the two of them did quite often, something that easily let each know how much one loved the other without saying it with words.

Their moment was interrupted by repeated knocking on their door, Glimmer giving a brief warning stating that she hoped they were dressed because she was coming in, to which Adora laughed lightly before calling out the okay. A few seconds later the atmosphere in the room changed as the queen teleported near their bed.

The queen had learned the hard way that she needed to announce before she entered Adora and Catra’s room. She never wanted to see a topless Catra being straddled by Adora _ever_ again her life. That had mortified her to no end. “Sorry if I woke you, but I think Bow and I found something in the library about that Halfmoon place and the lady Razz was talking about. Meet us there after breakfast?”

Without waiting for a response, she popped back out of the room, leaving the two girls still in bed staring at the space she just vacated before they pulled away from each other to start their day.

A half an hour later, after Adora had convinced Catra to eat something for breakfast and chew a few of the leaves Castaspella had given her (she was still complaining about her head), the two girls found themselves in the library staring down an old, faded map that Glimmer had spread out in front of them. “We hadn’t been able to find anything in any of our current archives, so Bow thought we should check some of the old ones since Razz has been around since the last She-Ra and low and behold what we came across. It’s an old map of the rebellion from when it first started. My mom had them kept away in an old case. Apparently Halfmoon is another kingdom, only they disappeared a few years after the first princess alliance broke apart. I also found a letter to my mother from someone named C’yra. It talks about a few hidden gates to where she took her kingdom down underground. The closest one is on the back edge of the Fright Zone.”

Adora studied the map and the sights where Glimmer had marked for them while her girlfriend read over the letter. Sure enough, everything Sparkles had told them was there. Halfmoon had been relocated underground after the alliance broke off, the queen fearing that the ever-growing Horde would been too difficult to beat now that only a few kingdoms were left to fight in the rebellion.

Bow gently eased an old tattered journal into Catra’s clawed hands once she handed the letter to her partner. “I also found something about magicats in a detailed account of one of the battles fought early on in the war. The description basically describes what how Catra looks. Humanoid, with distinctive features like those of a cat. Their queen was apparently a good war strategist and excelled in hand-to-hand combat. They were the last to leave the alliance after it broke, it just stops talking about them after that. Glimmer’s mom and the queen were friendly with each other, apparently. They fought side-by-side a few times, and won, until Micah was taken by the Horde.”

Catra processed this new bit of information, stealing a few quick glanced towards Sparkles seat next to Adora. The two were engrossed in reading through the journal once they’d gotten their hands on it, but at every mention of the former queen had the pink-haired girl wincing slightly.

Catra regretted the things she did in the name of the Horde and then later on in favor of her own personal gain. She hated the things she did to Adora, the things she said and the things she kept to herself. Every time her mismatched eyes caught on the scars across the blonde’s back or across the girl’s thigh, the brunette’s breath caught in her throat. She had been in such a dark place those three years, and she still felt as though she had gotten off too easy by helping the other save the universe. That’s why she had taken it upon herself to volunteer to help Sparkles with rebuilding everything she had wrecked. It was her fault that Glimmer’s mother was no longer here, and she wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to rid herself of that guilt, but she’d die trying to make it up to everyone sitting at this table.

“Do you want to try and find this place? It’s the first place to try and ask for some more answers to our questions. Maybe someone in Halfmoon has information on your family before you were taken by the Horde?”

While Catra doubted that if she had any remaining family they’d still be looking for after so long, she wasn’t about to voice that and take away the tiny amount of hope that laced Adora’s question. She’d rip her own claws out before she took that from her girlfriend. “Sure. It’s our best shot, right?”

The brunette let the others make their travel plans, optioning to glance back through the journal Bow had given her that featured the magicat queen. He had been spot on with their description matching her own, and not just in identifying features. The queen was described as lean, with a man of brown hair and tan fur, eyes of two colors and a formidable opponent on the battlefield. Catra wasn’t tooting her own horn or anything, but she’d outranked all the other cadets when it came to training, finishing just after Adora. Maybe magicats were just skilled in their ability to fight.

“Alright, we’ll meet you guys outside in morning after breakfast.”

Catra glanced up as Bow and Glimmer bid her their farewells before leaving the library, looking towards Adora to fill in the blanks for her. “They wanted to give you today and tonight to rest up before we made the journey. We’ll head out in the morning.”

“They suggested it, or did you?”

The blonde shrugged, smiling a guilty smile as she stood from her chair. “What can I say? I must look out for my girl. You really do need to rest like Castaspella said.”

Catra scoffed, waving her hand as she laid the journal down on the table. “I can rest when I’m dead. Let’s go pack for tomorrow.”

The two girls found themselves back in their room a few minutes later, each of them packing a bag in a matter of minutes. Catra had excused herself to bring them lunch, returning to find Adora laying on their bed staring up at the ceiling. “What are you doing?”

The blonde hummed, never tearing her eyes from whatever she was looking at. “Just thinking.”

Placing the tray of food on the table near the blonde’s side of the bed, Catra hopped onto the bed, settling herself on the blonde’s lap. “Well don’t hurt yourself.”

Adora chuckled, her hands resting on the brunette’s upper thighs as she took in Catra’s profile from above her. She’d never get over just how attractive the other woman was. It was something she took notice of when they’d gotten older in the Horde, and often found herself stealing glances in the communal showers when she could. She’d never been able to put a name to what she was feeling until Catra had refused to defect with her at Thaymor. Her heart had ached when Catra hadn’t taken her hand, and she’d swallowed the sudden realization that she was and always had been in love with her best friend as she watched the brunette disappear into the smoke. “I love you.”

Catra raised an eyebrow. She had watched various emotions flash across the blonde’s face, but she hadn’t been expecting Adora to blurt that out randomly. “I love you, too, you big dummy. What are you thinking about?”

“Thaymor, when I first defected.”

Upon seeing the brunette’s ears tilt backwards slightly and feeling her shift slightly on top of her, Adora lightly dug her fingers into the girl’s thighs to keep her in place. “I was trying to remember when I first realized I was in love with you. It was at Thaymor after you stayed with the Horde.”

The brunette’s ears never moved from their position, but she had settled her weight back on Adora’s hips with her hands resting on the blonde’s stomach, claws lightly grazing and catching on the fabric there. “That’s your moment?”

The blonde nodded, rubbing her thumbs in soothing circles in the soft fur of the girl’s thighs as she smiled up at her partner. “Yeah, I mean it was then that I realized I had always loved you. I just didn’t know it until it was too late. What about you?”

Adora would have called her girlfriend out on the blush that had settled on her cheeks, but the blonde was genuinely curious about the girl’s answer and didn’t want her to pull away. Plus, she wanted to try and take Catra’s mind off everything for a little while. “Uh, do you want to know when I first admitted it to myself or just in general?”

“Both?”

Catra let out a sigh, reaching one hand up to rub lightly at the scar on the back of her neck where she’d been chipped. “You remember when you caught that bug when we were like, around fifteen or something?”

After receiving a nod from the blonde, Catra let her hand drop back down to the girl’s stomach. “Shadow Weaver made you stay in the infirmary for that entire week and I slept on your cot the entire time, missing you like crazy. It was then that I realized how I felt about you. But, uh, I didn’t actually acknowledge it until that stupid princess prom, and we danced. I had thought that with you being gone I would move past it, but apparently I was wrong.”

“Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

“Why didn’t _you_?”

Both women stared at each other, neither being able to come up with an answer to the other’s question until Adora suddenly sat up, hooking one arm around the brunette’s back to keep the girl as close as she could. “I wish I had told you sooner, then maybe we wouldn’t have wasted so much time fighting each other. Maybe I could have gotten to you before Shadow Weaver did and hurt you. But I didn’t, and I don’t want to dwell on what ifs with you, Catra. I have you here with me now, and I am _never_ letting you go.”

Framing the blonde’s face with her hands, Catra let out a breathy laugh. “You’re such a sap, Adora.”

“Yeah, but you love me.”

Humming in agreement, the brunette closed the distance between the two of them, molding her lips to the taller girl’s, weaving her sheathed claws through blonde hair as the two girls fell into a familiar pattern, only pulling away from the kiss to catch their breath or to tear off a piece of their clothing until there were no more barriers between them.

Their story had been long and tedious, but it led them to moments like these. And that’s all that really mattered in the end.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The best friend squad find Halfmoon and come across an unexpected discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I should stop getting so blown away by the love this story is being shown, but I just can't stop smiling as I read everyone's comments. I'm glad everyone is enjoying this so far. 
> 
> Here's the next chapter as promised. It's a pretty big one. We're finally in Halfmoon and meeting other magicats. I couldn't give away too much, I want to keep that air of mystery until everyone is introduced all at once. That will be coming in the next chapter and be prepared for most of the chapter to be as angsty as it can get. Catra isn't going to react well to anything in the next chapter so just bare with me. It won't last forever. 
> 
> Please continue to let me know what you all think about this story. I'll try and be quick with my next update. Also, it's Adora's birthday today (1/19)!!!!! Happy Birthday, Adora!!!!!!!!

“So where exactly is this gate supposed to be?”

Catra glanced down at the map in her hands and then back up at the Fright Zone, pointing out in the general direction they needed to go in. “According to Sparkle’s map it’s supposed to be somewhere along the south side, somewhere near the center of that mountain range.”

“What’s the plan, Captain? Straight through or round it out?”

Nudging the blonde with her elbow, Catra rolled her eyes at Adora’s lighthearted jab at her former status. “We’ll walk through.”

The two girls fell in step with each other, Melog on one side of the brunette and Adora on the other, their shoulders brushing just slightly as they listened to Bow and Glimmer launch into more recent details they’d made in the planning of their wedding. The date had been set for a few months from now, and Adora and Catra had accepted the offering to stand up with the two as they recited their vows. Well, more like Adora had sniffled and accepted Bow’s offer with teary eyes while Catra had placed a playful punch to the queen’s shoulder and replied with a smart comment.

Halfway through the conversation Adora’s thoughts teetered off into thoughts of proposing to Catra. She had every intention of doing it last night after the conversation they had, it had been right on the tip of her tongue and stayed there long after Catra had kissed her. They’d fallen asleep before she could ask it, but the blonde was somewhat thankful that they had.

Glimmer had been the one to ask Bow to marry her, and when the pair had recounted their night to Catra and herself, Adora had felt as mushy on the inside. The queen had prepared a picnic for them outside Glimmer’s bedroom window, where Bow used to wait until the coast was clear to sneak into her room at night. Then, at sunset Glimmer had asked Bow to teach her how to shoot an arrow, and she’d managed to slip a parcel on one end when she distracted the boy that read “will you marry me?” and shot it to pierce a brick by her window. Bow had apparently cried when he read the note and immediately accepted, Glimmer attaching one of her earrings to Bow’s ear.

Adora might not be the most casual when it came to being romantic, she still wanted to do something nice for Catra when she proposed to the woman. She deserved that much, especially with how stupid the two of them had been regarding their feelings. Adora wanted Catra to remember the moment she asked her to marry her, not to have it blurted out in the middle of sex.

“Do you remember our first simulation?”

Catra and her had fell behind the other two members of their squad, Adora stopping when Catra did to stare out at the now nature covered Fright Zone. Her heart dropped at the sight, as it usually did when the hero thought about her old home. Catra had been right when she said this place held mostly bad memories for the two of them, but it still held some good ones here and there. Like when they first met and each moment they’d made while growing together inside the metallic, green walls. “You mean when you let Lonnie fall through the floor because she said she liked my hair?”

The brunette shrugged, starting back on their intended path. “What? She was flirting with you and I didn’t like it. She didn’t get seriously hurt or anything.”

“She wasn’t flirting with me, Catra. And she broke her arm in two places!”

“Yeah, like I said, she wasn’t seriously hurt. But she was flirting with you.”

Adora rolled her eyes, quickening her pace until she was in line with her partner once again. “We were twelve when that happened. We didn’t know what flirting was, how could you have possibly known that’s what she was doing?”

“Because Shadow Weaver had to shave half of your head when your hair was fried off by one of the bots. It looked terrible. She only said it because she had a crush on you.”

“You’re one to talk.”

Catra stopped suddenly, reaching out to grip the edge of Adora’s jacket and tug, forcing the blonde to turn until she was pressed up against the brunette’s front. “Lonnie would have never had the balls to do this, though.”

Without waiting for a response, her clawed hand tugged the blonde further until she could press her lips to Adora’s, smiling against the girl’s lips as she felt the hero melt into the kiss and wrap her arms around her waist.

“Can you guys go one day without making out in the most random of places?”

Adora pulled back, clearing her throat as she called out an apology to Glimmer and Bow. The two were a good twenty feet or so away from them, the queen tapping her foot in an annoyed fashion.

“That was low. Even for you.”

Catra stepped away from the blonde, smoothing out the wrinkles she had made in the girl’s jacket. “Aw, you know nothing’s too low for me. Come on. If we stay here any longer Sparkles is going to skin me alive.”

The rest of the walk through the remains of the Fright Zone was made in relative silence, save for the few moments Catra or Adora would point out parts of the old buildings they could identify underneath the cover of foliage that held special places in their hearts. The building where they first met, where their bunks used to be and other memories that they could pinpoint out for their friends.

When they finally reached the mountain range the foursome stood before it, unsure of where to go now. There hadn’t been much detail in what type of gate they should be looking for, but as Catra glanced back towards the Fright Zone behind them the ache in her head that had settled for the most part was back in full swing.

She’d seen this Fright Zone from this view before.

Turning her attention back to the mountain range and taking off towards a familiar looking rock formation, the brunette ignored the questioning gazes she was receiving from the other three members. Flashes were beginning to form in the forefront of her mind, bits and pieces of things she couldn’t make out clearly, but enough to keep her feet carrying her forward.

_I remember this place._

Catra stopped once she’d made it to her destination to find herself staring at the sleek side of the mountain. There definitely wasn’t a gate here, but something kept pulling the brunette’s attention back to this particular spot. If she was remembering her dream/memory correctly, the girl she had saved had disappeared around the corner of the rock they just passed, and Catra could remember feeling a bit of relief at seeing the small body disappear.

“Why are we staring at the side of the mountain?”

The brunette glared as the queen teleported to the spot next to her. “I’m _trying_ to look for the stupid gate, Sparkles.”

Glimmer raised an eyebrow at the feline, sending Adora a questioning look as the blonde and her fiancé joined them. The blonde shrugged a shoulder, having just barely heard her girlfriend’s reply.

“I saw this place in my dream. Or, uh memory. This is where the girl I saved ran off to.”

Glimmer glanced over the side of the mountain, huffing slightly. “Well, forbid me to go against your gut, Catra, but I don’t exactly see a gate anywhere near here. Just rock.”

Seeing the brunette’s shoulders tense Adora quickly stepped in between the two women in an attempt to keep someone from losing a limb or worse. This was something else the group had needed to get used to. Whether either girl wanted to admit it or not, they were scarily alike in personality and that sometimes meant the two would clash. Sure, they had grown to be fiercely loyal to each other, Adora figured they had bonded when they were both stuck on Prime’s ship in space, but there had been times where she and Bow had watched their respective partners almost kill each other.

“Hey, isn’t this gate supposed to be hidden? Isn’t that what the queen’s letter said to Angella? Maybe we just can’t see it?”

Letting out another huff Glimmer was the first to concede, mumbling a confirmative string of words that Adora barely registered before the Queen of Brightmoon teleported down farther the path leading in between the mountain range. “I’ll look over here!”

Sharing a look with Bow, who quietly agreed that he would follow after Glimmer and let them know if they found anything started off after his fiancée, leaving Adora to stare at her girlfriend’s side profile until she was sure the others were far enough away. “You said you saw this part of the mountain in your memory? Do remember anything about seeing a gate?”

Catra shook her head, letting some of the annoyance leave her body as she tore her eyes away from the rocks to look at the blonde. “No. I just remember seeing the girl run back this way. Do you think the gate is around here somewhere?”

“If we’re going by the map, then there’s a good possibility. Does anything else look familiar?”

The brunette glanced around, feeling as if she knew this mountain pass, although she had never been here. This side of the Fright Zone had been regularly ignored by the Horde. Hordak had deemed it safe enough with the tall mountains blocking the south side from any type of threat. If she had been here, it was most likely in some of the memories Shadow Weaver had tried to erase. “Not really. I feel like I should, though.”

Adora reached out, giving the feline’s shoulder a small squeeze. Her girlfriend didn’t have any more dreams revealing a forgotten memory since they returned from Mystacor, and while Adora was grateful for that (she wasn’t looking forward to seeing Catra go through all that again) she couldn’t help but wish the brunette had been given access to every memory their former mentor had repressed. Just to give Catra some peace of mind and to alleviate some of the stress from the woman’s shoulders. “Hey, it’ll be okay.”

After giving her blonde counter part a small smile, Catra broke off to search as much as the rocky slope before her as she could, her fingers trailing along the smooth expanse of the various surfaces until she suddenly stopped feeling anything.

Catra had to do a double take, making sure that she had just seen her hand disappear into a portion of rock. She quickly jerked her hand away, clinging the appendage to her chest as she let out a squeak of surprise. “Adora!”

In an instance the blonde was at her side, checking over her partner for any obvious signs of injury. “What is it? Are you okay?”

A clawed hand pointed towards the same rock her hand had disappeared into (passed through?) …whatever, the brunette was still freaking out slightly. “I think I found something.”

Adora reached out, feeling Catra’s claws dig into the fabric of the back of her jacket, watching as her hand seemed to pass through the rock, the tingling sensation of magic making her fingers vibrate slightly. “It’s like back at the Heart, when we passed through that illusion of fire. It’s _magic_. They hid the gates with magic. You did it Catra!”

The brunette was glad the blonde was seemingly having fun as she repeatedly pulled her hand out of the rock only to plunge it back in a second later, tightening her grip on her girlfriend’s jacket. “Why am I always the one who’s not okay with an appendage disappearing into something that’s supposed to solid? Why are you so _weird_?”

Adora let out a light laugh, pulling her hand away from the rock to call out to Glimmer and Bow and let them know they found the gate. “Just trying to keep you on your toes, babe.”

Catra grumbled something under her breath, continuing to cling to the blonde as the other members of their party finally joined them, Sparkles confirming that the gate had been hidden by a simple illusion spell and that it should be safe for them to just walk through.

“Wait, so we’re going to just walk through a hidden gate that no one even knew existed until just now without even worrying about what might be on the other side?”

She shouldn’t have been surprise, honestly. Catra had gotten a fair taste of what it meant to be the fourth person in the best friend’s squad, and while she trusted each of them with her life, she still couldn’t help but feel like their ability to act without thinking would get them into more trouble than it would be worth.

When she received nothing but affirmative nods from the other three, she let out a sigh, running one hand over her face. “Some things just don’t change with you three.”

Feeling Adora’s hand grasping her own, Catra pushed down the nagging voice in the back of her head that had been placed there during her many hours of training with the Horde. If there was one thing they’d managed to beat in to her brain it was to _never_ run into a battle without a solid plan, but here she was, stepping through the rock with Adora at her side and letting her eyes take in as much as they could.

They’d stepped into a dark cave, and with her advanced eyesight she could see the perfectly carved out tunnel leading farther down into the depths of the cave. The unknown of what they’d found was forcing the hair on her body to stick up. Every muscle in Catra’s body was tensed ready to bolt of fight if need be.

“Glimmer, do you mind getting us some visibility?”

A pink orb erupted from somewhere in front of the blonde, coming to rest at the highest point in the cavern and cast everything into light. Adora instantly reacted much like her girlfriend did, readying herself for any type of possibility that could be waiting for them.

They walked in relative silence down the tunnel, the only sounds the echoing of their footsteps reverberating off the cave’s walls and the distant sound of water dripping somewhere. The tunnel was steadily leading them into and father down in the cavern at a somewhat steady slope, meaning that whatever they were looking for was indeed underground like the letter had detailed.

Adora chanced a glance at the woman walking beside her. “Does any of this look familiar to you?”

Catra nodded, her mismatched eyes glancing in every possible direction at a rapid pace. “This is definitely the place from my dream, which means we should be coming up on some kind of stone maze shortly.”

As if the cave had been waiting for the brunette’s words to echo, the tunnel opened up, Glimmer’s orb following the ceiling of the cave until it reached a much higher point, revealing the large stone walls set before them. They were easily twice as tall as them, casting shadows that moved with every glittering light from Glimmer’s magic.

“Why would the queen create a maze to get to her kingdom?”

Adora stepped forward, placing her hand against the stone wall nearest to them, which happened to serve as one portion of what she assumed was the opening to the maze. “From a tactical standpoint, I can see why. The gate was only protected by an illusion. Anyone could have stumbled upon it over the past twenty or so years. The maze would have ensured that no one made it to the kingdom unless they knew what they were doing. This place is huge. You could easily get lost in there.”

“How exactly are we going to ensure that _we_ don’t get lost in there?”

Adora and Catra shared a look, the latter shrugging her shoulders before she started off into the maze, navigating every turn and corner as if she’d somehow managed to memorize the maze’s path, the others following in behind her dutifully. It wasn’t long before they could see the outline of a doorway, meaning they had successfully managed to not get lost.

Catra’s ears picked up on them before she saw them, throwing an arm out to keep the others from advancing forward towards the exit of the maze. Just beyond the doorway carved into the cave wall ahead of them, well trained mismatched eyes were searching for the whatever had made the sound that had caught her attention.

“What are you-.”

“We’re not alone. There’s someone else here.”

A faint glow of light and the sizzling of the air around her told Catra that She-Ra had now come out to play, just in time for a body to come flying over the top of the nearest wall and colliding with the tall warrior.

Before Catra could even call out to her girlfriend, who was struggling underneath the cloaked figure two more advanced the same way the first had, throwing themselves into the middle of the fight.

Arrows and balls of glitter were whizzing by Catra’s head as she hurried to her friends, grabbing one of attackers by their cloaks and yanking as hard as she could, sending them to the floor of the cave with a grunt. Her mismatched eyes managed to catch a glimpse of a clawed hand coming into contact with She-Ra’s sword, causing the metal to clang and pulling enough of her attention for someone to land a hard blow to the back of her shoulder.

With a hiss, she turned to face the cloaked figure she’d pulled away from Bow, unsheathing her own claws as she dodged a few more advances before making a strategic move to kick out at her attacker, sending them flying backwards into the stone wall and knocking them unconscious. The brunette was fixing to turn to help fight off the other two attackers when she noticed another figure immerging from the maze’s exit, this one uncloaked and half disguised by the shadows surrounding them.

What had caught her attention was the tail swinging wildly behind the figure, lapping out into the light for a split second and when they stepped out of the darkness Catra felt her own eyes widen slightly. For the first time in her life that she could remember she was staring at someone who looked like her.

Which meant…

Before she could further process anything else, the figure advanced and she suddenly realized that being so agile and fast was mainly due to the fact that she was a magicat, because she barely had time to blink before coming to her wits and moving just out of range of the claws ascending towards her face.

She successfully avoided a few more swings before getting distracted by Adora, who had transformed back into herself and was now wincing with every step she took as she and her attacker circled around each other.

Feeling a body attach itself to her back, Catra managed to regain her balance before she was brought down by the added weight, using one hand to catch a clawed hand as it came too close to her face for her liking. Using the momentum of catching the other magicat’s arm, Catra let out a yell, pulling the body over her shoulder and slamming (what she could now identify was a girl) the magicat onto the ground at her feet.

The girl managed to react quickly, despite having just been thrown to the ground, her head jerking upwards until golden eyes were meeting Catra’s mismatched eyes. The pain in the latter’s temples flaring up as she instantly relaxed her fighting stance to stare down at the older version of the girl from her dream/memory.

Golden eyes were wide as they stared up at her, the girl visibly recoiling when Catra took an involuntary step forward, looking as if she’d seen a ghost or something equally disturbing. Was it possible the girl recognized her?

“Catra, are you okay?”

Refusing to tear her eyes away from the still cowering girl on the ground in front of her, Catra managed to catch Adora’s arm as she took notice of the girl, her own claws digging into he blonde’s skin with enough pressure to break through the first few layers of skin.

Adora glanced between her girlfriend and the girl sitting on the ground below her, raising an eyebrow as she watched the two staring at each other for a few more seconds before clearing her throat. “Uh, Catra, what’s going on?”

When her girlfriend made no move to answer her, Adora crouched down as best as she could while trying not to agitate the semi-deep scratches on her calf, watching as the other magicat’s attention shift to her. The girl’s black ears were pressed flat to her head, and Adora couldn’t help but notice how similar this girl and her girlfriend looked. The two shared the same lean body style, their faces shaped the same way and framed by a dark mane of messy hair, although her shade of fur was a few tones lighter than her girlfriend’s and instead of heterochromatic eyes she was looking into deep golden ones. The blonde could see the girl’s tail curled around her own leg, something she had learned Catra did when trying to ground herself.

“Are you okay?”

Golden eyes snapped down to the blonde’s outstretched hand before narrowing slightly as the magicat bolted into an upright standing position, one arm coming up to rest against her collarbone. “Who are you and how did you find this place?”

Now that the girl was standing Adora took a second to look at what she was wearing. While the other three magicats that had attacked them were wearing black cloaks with simply black tunics underneath, the golden-eyed girl was wearing a white button up blouse smudged with dirt that was tucked into black pants that looked much tighter than anything the blonde would be comfortable in. She’d learned early on that clothing that stretched allowed for Catra to move more freely and allow the girl to be agile when fighting in simulations and other forms of training. The tight stretchy fabric must have been something other magicats preferred.

“My name is Adora and we came in through the gate at the bottom of the mountain. We’re looking for Queen C’yra of Halfmoon. Do you know her?”

Golden eyes narrowed into smaller slits, a low growl reverberating from the girl. “How do you know my mother? Or of the hidden gate?”

Adora held up both hands, trying to show the girl that they were of no harm to her, chancing a glance at Catra out of the corner of her eye to see if she was going to chime in on the conversation, but her girlfriend was now scowling at the ground at her feet. “Your mother left a note for the former Queen Angella of Brightmoon saying that she was taking the kingdom underground. We’re here because we’re looking for answers.”

“Answers for what?”

The blonde took it as a small win when the other magicat’s posture relaxed slightly, Adora letting out her own sigh of relief. She really didn’t want to have to fight the other girl if she could help it. Her girlfriend had obviously recognized the girl and she had been able to put the pieces of the puzzle together. This was the girl that Catra had rescued from the Horde in her dream, which meant that they needed to be cautious of how they approached this. She wanted to show the apparent princess of Halfmoon that they were friends and not foes.

“Well, that’s kind of a long story and I think we’d all prefer not to tell it more than once. Can you take us to see the queen? I promise we’re not here to harm any of you. You have She-Ra’s word.”

The girl’s golden eyes widened slightly. “You’re She-Ra?”

“I am.”

Golden eyes glanced between all Adora and the others, hesitating slightly when they landed on her girlfriend who had yet to move or make any type of noise in the past few minutes. “Fine. I’ll take you to my mother.”

After making sure the other magicats were back on their feet and weren’t hurt too bad, and after being assured by the magicat princess that there was no longer a need to fight, they were being led through the carved doorway and had to do doubletakes at the light streaming on their faces and the sight before them.

On the other side of another tall stone wall was the top of an intricate stone castle just off into the distance, looking as if it had been carved straight out of the cavern that served as its protective barrier, the main gate of the city sitting between two carved rocks in the shape of giant feline beasts, magicats dressed in black cloaks standing guard directly under each carving. Noises were beginning to trickle into Adora’s ears, the sounds of a busy town and chatter invading her senses.

Right underneath their feet was an entire _kingdom_ , a healthy one that seemed to be doing perfectly fine on their own, somehow managing to keep life moving and surviving underneath Etheria. An entire race of magicats! This was exactly what they’d been looking for! And to add the cherry on top, they would be able to find answers about Catra and her life before the Horde took her.

The foursome stopped just outside the gate, watching the golden-eyed girl speak to the two magicats standing guard before glancing over her shoulder at them. “Welcome to Halfmoon.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The squad meets more of the royal family and are not expecting the reactions they receive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just take a second to say I am blown away by this story yet again! It's barely been a week since I first started this and we've already reached over a 100 Kudos and 1,000 hits. That is wild! And you all are loving this story just as much as I am, and that is just incredible. 
> 
> Here's chapter 7. We're getting into the good stuff now! It's a little short, mostly because classes started back this week and I'm recovering from an injury I received last year, so it's the first time I've been readily active in almost three months and I am just physically exhausted already after two days of this. Not to mention that if I'm given the all clear by my ortho doctor next week, I'll be starting at work again. My time is going to be limited, but I'm going to give as much spare time as I can to this story so bare with me on the updates. I won't have a specific schedule laid out until after I figure everything out with work, but I will set one up and try to keep to it. 
> 
> Thank you all for your continued support. You guys are the best.

Adora was doing that thing where she was trying not to worry.

The golden-eyed girl had escorted them through the busy streets of Halfmoon, passing by vendors selling various items and random citizens that eyed them suspiciously. There were very few other species here other than magicats, so the blonde figured they were a sight to behold. But she could barely pay attention to any of the small details of the city, too busy casting worried glances at her, once again, silent girlfriend. The brunette had not said a word or so much as made a noise since they encountered the other magicats.

Adora could only imagine the things racing through her partner’s mind, and while she couldn’t do anything to alleviate the stress or in any way make this better, so she had simply slipped her hand into Catra’s and squeezed it slightly in a silent show of support.

_I’m here when you need me_.

That’s what Catra realized Adora’s hand wrapped around hers had meant, and she had found herself smiling despite the situation they were in. She wished her teenage self could see this older version of her, content in her life and happy by Adora’s side. She’d spent so many years pushing down the feelings that bubbled into her chest whenever she saw the blonde, so many years being angry with the world and with herself for not having the courage to just tell Adora how she felt.

She’d gotten so lucky that everything worked out for her, that she had the blonde to lean on when things were hard. Sure, it was something the feline was still working on, the whole sharing the load thing, but they’d grown so much together in the past year alone and she felt her heart constrict with an insane amount of love for the woman that hadn’t let go of her hand since their entrance to Halfmoon. Even after they’d been taken to the library of the stone castle and the girl from her memory had excused herself to get the queen, Adora’s hand was still holding onto Catra’s tightly.

It was grounding the brunette and keeping her from fleeing from the room, even as her heart was beating erratically inside her chest and screaming at her to run. Adora was the center of her universe and always brought her back into her field of gravity, never letting her get too far away before pulling her back in and reminding her that she was _safe_ as long as her partner was with her.

* * *

Standing just outside the library doors, a pair of golden colored eyes were staring at the wood before her, the princess trying to wrap her mind around what had just happened.

She’d been doing her weekly patrol with this morning’s rounds of guard, a task that she had always thought was far too demeaning considering there was rarely a breach of the gate and even if there was one, whoever it was never made it past the stone maze. So imagine the princess’ shock when one of the guards had come running to warn her of intruders almost at Halfmoon’s main entrance.

She certainly hadn’t been expecting to see four people holding their own against some of the most capable warriors in her guard, let alone another magicat fighting _with_ them and she jumped into action, figuring that the magicat had been one of the few that had been revolting against the yearly vote to keep Halfmoon hidden from the world above them. The sounds of the Horde had ceased almost a year ago to this day, but her mother had been reluctant to send anyone topside to check. The council had readily agreed, save for one or two members and a few citizens had been reported leaving the city. There had been a few instance where these rouge people would try and start a riot in the town’s center when they would sneak back in, trying to gather enough people for their cause. Luckily enough the citizens of Halfmoon knew the dangers of Etheria and no one had joined them.

But what golden eyes hadn’t been expecting was to be thrown over the shoulder of the magicat and look up into a pair of mismatched eyes that she thought she would never see again until she took her last breath. Ones that seemed to recognize her as well, if the taller girl’s reaction was anything to go by.

The princess’ clawed hand finally pulled away from the library’s door handle, golden eyes blinking rapidly as she tried to clear her mind long enough to find her parents before one of the guards accidentally let it spill that she brought topsiders into the castle. Or before someone recognized their guests, more specifically... _her_.

Not to mention she needed to voice her concerns about the magicat of the group, the thought of having _that_ conversation with her parents making the royal’s insides clench uncomfortably. As much as she wanted to admit to herself that it was true, that she wasn’t just overthinking things and thought she had managed to find _her_ after all this time, but her memories of the other girl were hazy at best and she needed her parents to confirm it before she said something stupid to the group that has been waiting for her for much too long now. The only clear things she could remember about the other girl were the distant sounds of children’s laughter mingling together, a few flashes of running through the streets of her home chasing after a figure without a face she thought she could still remember a few details of and her eyes.

Pushing herself off the door, the golden-eyed girl maneuvered through the corridors and hallways of the castle with ease, eventually finding her parents in one of the council rooms set up for their weekly meetings with the district leaders.

Luckily for her there were no council members present at the time, so she was able to slip into the room and stand awkwardly by the door as she racked her brain to try and figure out how to start this conversation.

“Chloe, are you alright?”

Glancing up to meet the concerned looks of her parents, the princess shrugged before letting out a light and slightly wet laugh. “Not exactly. The patrol and I, uh, came across a few topsiders that had managed to make it through the maze.”

The King stood from his chair, eyes narrowing slightly. “What? How did they find the gate? Or navigate through the maze?”

“I’m not entirely sure about that, but one of them is Angella’s daughter. I assume the Queen of Brightmoon had knowledge of the city, or She-Ra found the gate, but that isn’t the point. There’s…I don't...”

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, the princess met her parent’s gazes, as she reached up to place her own slightly shaky hand over her father’s larger one, knowing that she shouldn’t keep dancing around it and there was no way to say this without causing either of them pain from tearing open the old wound of this subject. “There’s a magicat with them. I’ve never seen her in town before and she looks…she’s…I…hell, she looks…it’s _Catra_.”

* * *

After what seemed like an eternity, the doors to the library had sprung open, revealing a male magicat dressed in fine clothing that reminded the blonde of how the princess was dressed. His pants were baggier, but still the same black color and his own black button up shirt was half hidden by a deep red cape hooked onto his shoulders. The most prominent aspect of his outfit, though, was the golden crown sitting on top of his head, nestled between his ears. Adora could also see the family resemblance between who she assumed was the king and his daughter, who the blonde realized was hesitating just inside the library doors. Unlike the brown mane of hair the princess sported, the king’s hair was lighter, an orange tint to his long strands, but the two shared the same pale, cream colored fur and golden colored eyes. And said eyes had finally landed on their small group huddled by the fireplace.

Adora watched as something flashed across his features, something the blonde thought had been a brief look of pain and confusion before it was replaced with a more neutral look and he cleared his throat. “My apologizes for the sudden entrance, I just…I needed to see it with my own eyes.”

The foursome shared a look before turning their attention back to the king, who had taken a few more steps into the large room, his golden eyes zeroing in on Catra, who still had Adora’s hand clasped with hers tightly. “I’m not entirely sure how I’m to approach this. I have so many questions and I realize this is probably going to sound insane, but I have to ask…Catra, is it really you?”

Blue eyes widening, Adora’s head swiveled to look at her partner who’s on mismatched eyes had widened slightly, the blonde automatically taking a protective step in front of the woman she loved while she turned her attention back to the magicat king. “Excuse me?”

Feeling a clawed hand come up to rest on her shoulder, Adora watched with tense shoulders as her girlfriend stepped around her and took a few steps away from the group and towards the king. “How do you know my name?”

Catra watched, with bated breath and a pounding heart as the king’s golden eyes settled on hers, glazing over with unshed tears. The brunette’s mind was running a mile a minute, knowing that she probably wasn’t going to like the answer to her question, but there was no turning back now. They had opened the metaphorical flood gates and now all she could do was brace for the impact of the incoming waves.

“You don’t remember, do you, my daughter?”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look into Chloe, the princess of Halfmoon's mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. So still no word on a set time when I'll be posting updates. I'm cleared to go back to work starting next week, but the company I work for is making transferring stores much more harder than necessary and it looks like I might be finding a new job. So wish me luck on whatever ends up happening on that front. 
> 
> But here's the next chapter, which I wanted to do as a kind of a filler chapter. I wanted to do something in Chloe's POV and included a tiny, little surprise that (is briefly mentioned in this one) will also be included in the next chapter. We'll also finally see Catra's train of thought when it comes to finding out about her heritage in the next chapter as well. Oh, and there's also going to be a conversation between Chloe and Adora (and by extension, the surprise) too!!!!!
> 
> Also, can we say HELL YEAH for SPOP being nominated for the GLADD award? That's awesome! #catradoraforever 
> 
> Please continue to let me know what you all think! Love you all!

Chloe sighed as she rounded the corner near her bedroom, running a clawed hand through her unruly brown locks, finger snagging on a few tangles. She’d have to cut it again soon. It was getting longer than she usually allowed it to. Just past her shoulders was the length Chloe figured out that resulted in the least number of tangles and knots without having to cut all of it off.

It was a problem that could wait until later, though. The princess’ mind was too busy trying to comprehend everything that happened in the last couple of hours. The brunette felt as if her entire world had been tilted to the left just slightly, a feeling she was quite familiar with as she thought back to the kingdom’s unexpected guests she parted with just a few moments ago.

* * *

_“I’m sorry I don’t remember anything.”_

_Chloe watched as her father’s hand twitched slightly as he sat across from the four topsiders, the brunette knowing that he had stopped himself from reaching out to take his eldest daughter’s hand in an attempt not to overwhelm the brunette. That’s why Chloe herself had chosen to stand off to the side as her father explained everything and answered whatever questions their guests had._

_A million emotions were running through her system, but the most present were the guilt and fear that had long settled into her chest. The golden eyed girl had been right when she suspected her sister had recognized her, it was apparently the only thing the other brunette remembered about her life before the Horde and taken her. Chloe herself had a few more memories than Catra did, but if there was one she wanted to rid herself of, it was this one._

_She wasn’t an idiot. She knew that the only reason her sister had gotten captured was because of her, because her sister had sacrificed herself to save her. She’d spent the past seventeen and a half years of her life trying to forget her sister’s voice yelling for her to run, obeying and then turning around to realize that Catra wasn’t behind her._

_Chloe had spent the past seventeen and half years with the weight of knowing that she was responsible for her sister’s disappearance and assumed death._

_Standing here, in the library so close to someone they all had spent so many years grieving over, Chloe figured this was as good a punishment as she deserved._

_“Catra, please don’t apologize for that. What that Shadow Weaver did to you…the blame for all of this lays entirely in her hands.”_

_The golden-eyed princess had wanted to scoff at that, to yell out and question if the queen shared the same thoughts as him, but Chloe remained a silent observer, choosing to instead turn her eyes towards the sudden knock on the library doors a few seconds before a guard poked their head in. “Excuse me, your majesty, but the princess’s presence is being requested by Delilah.”_

_Chloe wanted to smack herself for being so forgetful, instantly pushing herself off the wall before meeting her father’s gaze, the king himself standing as he cleared his throat. “Right, on that note I think it would be best to call it a night. It is getting pretty late and I still need to speak with my wife. She…sends her apologizes for not coming with me to speak with you. She…C’yra took your disappearance harder than anyone. We wanted to make sure it was really you before…well, she didn’t want to subject herself to more heartache. It’s hard to explain, but we all will clear our schedules for the next few days if you want to speak. I understand this is going to take some time to get used to. Please, don’t hesitate to ask any of us for anything, I’ll have Markus here show you to your rooms.”_

* * *

Just thinking about the queen sent a chill down Chloe’s back, the princess thinking back to her mother’s reaction to the news of the lost princess possibly being back in the castle. The queen had simply said nothing as she left the room, a dull look in her mismatched eyes.

Not that Chloe blamed her for that reaction. She knew that her sister’s disappearance impacted all of them in the worst ways possible, but her mother did indeed seem to have a much harder time whenever the lost princess was mentioned. The golden-eyed girl could vaguely remember her mother being absent for a few weeks following Catra being taken by the Horde, and the princess knew where exactly her mother had been, but her family had made a silent vow to never speak of it. The various visible scars across the queen’s face were a harsh enough reminder of her whereabouts.

But Chloe also knew that her mother had always seemed to hold her youngest daughter accountable for her eldest’s disappearance. Her mother had been keeping her at arm’s length since then, always willing to remind Chloe of her wrongdoings and hardly ever praising her when she succeeded. The princess had long ago stopped trying to get her mother to let her back in, but the sting of the queen’s self-inflicted absence was still present in her chest.

Shaking herself of her thoughts, Chloe let out another sigh before reminding herself that she needed to relieve Delilah from her post and that she’d probably been standing outside her room for far much longer than need be stuck in her own thoughts. The poor woman was probably ready to pull all of her hair out.

“Good evening, Princess. Long day?”

Despite everything, Chloe let a small smile grace her lips as she let her bedroom door shut quietly behind her. Delilah had been one of the few people employed in the castle that had treated the princess with a genuine kind heart, rather than doing it for the sake of impressing the king or queen. Whenever the princess was feeling overwhelmed, Delilah was like a breath of fresh air in her magicat lungs, always there to bring her a smile or precious words of wisdom. “You have no idea. I’m so sorry it’s so late, Delilah. I hope she wasn’t too much to handle today.”

The older magicat waved her hand towards the young princess, wanting to roll her blue eyes but refraining from doing so. She’d heard the whispered rumors of the other servants around the castle today, each one speaking quietly of the lost princess’s supposed return, and she’d be damned if she were to add any more stress on the young girl’s shoulders. Delilah knew firsthand what this family had endured for so long. She couldn’t begin to try and understand how any of them were handling this. “Nonsense. I love that child as if she were my own, you know this, Princess. It’s always a pleasure to keep her company until you return from your duties.”

Delilah watched as the princess’s shoulders slumped slightly, the twenty-year-old looking so much older than she did. “Thank you, Delilah. You can go now. And don’t worry about the next few days, my schedule has just been opened completely, take that time to rest. Please. You deserve it and more.”

Chloe quirked an eyebrow as the other magicat protested, her gentle smile never leaving her face as she watched as the older woman eventually give up and nod, gathering her things before stepping out of the room, but not before giving the princess’s shoulder a gentle squeeze as she passed by her.

Forcing her tired feet to trudge through across her room, Chloe hesitated outside the door to the small, built in room her father had commissioned for her a few years back, cracking the door open to stick her head in. Thankfully, her eyes allowed her to see in the dark as she gazed over the small sleeping figure slumbering away in the bed placed up against the wall, checking to make sure the figure was indeed asleep before closing the door softly behind her.

Instead of finding purchase on her soft bed across the room, the princess opted to simply slide to the floor of her bedroom, arms and tail wrapping around herself in a comforting manor. Now that she was alone, the princess finally allowed herself to break down the mask that she be required to wear around everyone, the mask that she had adopted when she was announced as the crowned princess of her kingdom that hid every emotion from her citizens.

A princess needed to be strong, to lead, and showing certain emotions would only hinder her ability to do that. So she had learned to hide them, to lock them away until she was alone and could deal with them in private.

However, Chloe didn’t feel the need to be a princess at this moment, as she sat curled in on herself, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. There was no need for her mask. No need to hide the deep ache settled in her chest.

She cried for the loss of her childhood. For her parents and their own pain. For the little girl asleep in the bedroom behind her, who she never thought would meet her aunt.

And for her sister. Who’s shadow she grew up in and who’s shoes she had never been able to fill…who didn’t deserve any of this. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Chloe talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was on such a high from the last chapter, and I find myself dealing with another sleepless night, so I figured that I might as well try and see if I could get another chapter in. 
> 
> This chapter features our surprise! Catra has a niece! She's going to play a huge part in bringing Catra and her sister closer together, and the squad gets to meet the tiny magicat in the next chapter! More of Catra's blocked memories will be making an appearance. Catra's mother, C'yra, will also be in the next chapter as well. Then I'm just going to plunge you all into the drama again, which I am sorry for. But, alas, it is needed. 
> 
> I love that everyone is enjoying this story. Honestly, these comments are the fuel I need to keep going.   
> I hope everyone has a good weekend. Enjoy!

“Absolutely not.”

Catra let out a frustrated groan, her face falling into her hands and successfully blocking her view of her girlfriend, who had been standing at the foot of the bed with both hands on her hips and sporting her infamous stubborn frown. “Adora, please. I just…I need a few minutes to alone to try and wrap my mind around everything.”

“You don’t have to go through this alone, Catra. We agreed to stop doing this, trying to always be stronger than we need to be. I’m worried about you.”

The blonde watched as the brunette’s clawed hands slowly fell from her face, revealing her obvious tired features. Neither one of them had slept much last night after one of the Halfmoon guards had shown them to their room. Adora had spent the better part of her night either holding her girlfriend as she cried or watching the magicat pace the length of the room cursing their former mentor. Most of those Adora had joined her in. She felt the other girl’s anger was justified, seeing as not only had Shadow Weaver placed the mind block on the brunette, but she had lied about her entire existence as well.

Adora herself felt overwhelmed. She could only imagine half of what her partner was thinking and dealing with. Especially since said partner sometimes still rebounded back into the mindset that _someone_ had beat into her a young age: that she was worthless.

But Adora was always there to remind her of how wrong that was. To Adora, Catra was everything and she spend the rest of her life reminding her girlfriend of that.

“I’m not trying to do this alone. I just…want a little while to myself to think. I promise I’m not pushing you away or that I’m going to do something stupid. _Please_ , Adora.”

The blonde deflated slightly, taking note of the pleading tone her girlfriend was using. Catra had only ever used that tone when they were children and it all but disappeared when they entered adulthood. If the brunette was asking for time and space, Adora would give it to her. She’d give her one of Etheria’s moons if the woman asked.

Taking a few steps towards the bed, the blonde reached out to gently cup the magicat’s face in her hands. “Okay. I’ll wander around the castle grounds for a while. You stay here and take as much time as you need. Just…come find me if you need me. Or if you get too overwhelmed or angry or-.”

“Adora.”

“Right. Sorry. I love you.”

The brunette smiled softly, her own hands reaching up to cover the blonde’s. “I love you, too, you dummy.”

Once the blonde had vacated the room, and Catra had promised her girlfriend to find her if she needed her, the brunette was finally left alone with her thoughts.

While she appreciated everything Adora had been doing for her, but the brunette was still working on herself, and she was beginning to feel slightly suffocated under her girlfriend’s watchful eye. Catra did need this time to think, but she also knew that she needed to stew in her own anger on her own, less she ended up saying or doing something she regretted to the blonde. Adora was an easy outlet and would have taken anything the magicat would have thrown her way, but she refused to use her partner has her emotional punching bag.

And all Catra really wanted to do was punch something.

More specifically, she wanted to punch Shadow Weaver. Hard. Repeatedly.

Punching someone who was dead, that was impossible, so Catra was going to do the next best thing, she was going to make sure that Shadow Weaver’s plans failed. Even if that meant over straining her brain to fully unlock every memory the damned sorcerer had tried to remove.

She wasn’t going to let Shadow Weaver continue to do this. The magicat had worked so hard to remove every horrible thing the woman had beat into her at a young age, and she’d been doing better. She was being a better person, a better friend, a better partner.

Catra was fucking sick and tired of Shadow Weaver trying to control her.

With a somewhat shaky breath, the magicat took a deep breath as she situated herself on the bed, her limbs automatically falling into the familiar position Perfuma had showed her for meditating.

Come hell or high water, Catra was unlocking her memories.

* * *

It wasn’t until Adora stepped out of her and Catra’s shared room that she had absolutely no idea how to navigate the halls of Halfmoon’s castle. She’d been so occupied on her girlfriend that she hadn’t bothered to pay attention when the guard led them to their room. Bow and Glimmer had been shown their own room after them, so it wasn’t like the blonde knew where to find the two. Or anyone, really.

Eventually, the blonde found herself outside what looked like the kitchen, if the various magicats inside clanging pots and pans and preparing various meals was anything to go by. They were all nice enough, giving the hero a kind smile when they noticed her hovering in the doorway, even offering her food at some point. Adora refused it, though. She didn’t think she could stomach any food right now; she was too worried about her girlfriend to eat.

What caught the blonde’s eyes, though, was the opened door on the far side of the kitchen. She’d managed to catch a glimpse of what she thought was the princess’s form dash by, and Adora wasn’t going to lie…she was curious about the girl. She was Catra’s sister, after all. She should at least try and get to know her…right?

With a sigh, the blonde hurried through the kitchen and out of the open door, eyes scanning the grassy courtyard for any sign of the princess. Finally, she managed to see the golden-eyed girl round the corner of the courtyard, head thrown back in laughter as a smaller figure ran after her, carrying a small wooden sword.

Adora watched the two exchange easy blows before the child managed to land a jab to the princess’s side, the brunette dramatically clutching to the area with a groan before falling to the ground in a heap, the small magicat child laughing loudly.

The sight brought a smile to Adora’s face, as most occurrences with children did. It was one of the blonde’s favorite pastimes when she was traveling across Etheria to lend a hand in helping rebuild the cities. The children all loved She-Ra, and Adora loved hearing their laughter and joyful voices. It reminded her of those few moments she shared with Catra as children in the Horde, the two of them stealing away moments to play tricks on the other cadets or Force Captains that always ended with them laughing uncontrollably. Those memories were most of the few good ones Adora had of growing up in the Horde.

The princess chose that moment to look up, as if she knew the blonde had been watching the two from a distance, her expression neutral as she stood up from the ground and started towards the blonde after speaking to the child in a hushed voice.

“Adora, right?”

The blonde nodded, shifting her weight on her feet nervously. She really wanted Catra’s sister to like her. If she made a bad impression on the girl, would that come between her and Catra? Or would the golden eyed girl speak to her parents about it? Would that effect Catra’s relationship with the king and queen?

“Is everything okay?”

Adora steeled herself, realizing that she’d been staring at the princess without speaking long enough. “Oh, yeah. Sorry. I was just walking through the castle and thought I saw you run past the door in the kitchen. I hope I’m not interrupting you or anything.”

The magicat waved the princess off, turning to glance over her shoulder at the sound of the magicat child’s voice raising as the child was pretending to fight off an invisible threat with her wooden sword. “We were just fooling around.”

Adora followed the princess’s line of sight, her smile returning as she watched the child slash through the air repeatedly. “She’s cute. She has a good form, too.”

The brunette laughed lightly, her own fond smile rising to the surface. “Thank you. Taught her everything I know.”

Before the blonde could respond, the child ran up to them, holding out the other wooden sword the princess had left behind. “Mommy! I needs your help! We gots to defeat the evil bad guy ‘for he takes over da castle!”

Adora’s eyebrows raised as the princess laughed lightly, taking the sword into her hand. “I think you’re strong enough to take him, kiddo. And after you beat him, we’ll go and celebrate his downfall with some candy, okay?”

That seemed to placate the child, until she took notice of the blonde standing before her mother, the small magicat’s golden eyes staring up at her confusingly. She’d never seen anyone who didn’t have a tail or ears before. “Mommy, who’s dis?”

Adora herself was busy taking in the girl’s features now that she was closer. It was like looking at a miniature version of the princess, except the child’s hair was a darker shade in color, almost black. If the girl hadn’t called the princess mommy, it wouldn’t have been hard to guess that the two were related. The blonde was just slightly blown away by the fact that Catra’s sister apparently had a child.

“Mia, this is Adora. She’s a…friend of Mommy’s.”

The tiny magicat instantly smiled up at the blonde, a hand reaching out to lightly grip the hero’s jacket with one hand. “Hi, ‘Dora! Do you wanna play, too? I show you how to fight da evil bad guy!”

Feeling slightly overwhelmed with the new information that had been presented to her, Adora looked up at the princess, unsure of what to say or do with the child hanging onto her. Thankfully, Chloe had realized the blonde’s panic, pulling the smaller girl away gently. “How about you go see if you can sneak a cookie from the kitchen?”

The little girl gasped, her eyes widening comically. “I can have a cookie?”

“Only one, and you come straight back here when you get it.”

Without another word, the child was off, rushing back into the kitchen and leaving Adora to stare after her. Catra had a _niece_?

“I’m sorry about that. That kid could make friends with a brick wall.”

“No, it’s fine. I was just…surprised is all.”

The princess let out a sigh, ushering out to an unoccupied bench farther into the courtyard. “If you want to sit, I’ll explain it all.”

The blonde’s eyes widened, her hands waving in front of her body in a blurry of motion. “Oh, you don’t have to do that! You barely even know me; you don’t have to tell me anything!”

Chloe quirked an eyebrow at the blonde. This was the mighty She-Ra from the stories her teachers had told her as a child? This bumbling blonde, who was looking like she would rather fall into a hole than speak to her? “Adora, you’re with my sister, aren’t you?”

The princess watched as the blonde’s cheeks reddened slightly. “How did you know?”

“You mean besides the fact that you were holding hands constantly last night? I could tell by the way you two look at each other. It’s the same look my parents share.”

If it was possible, the blonde’s cheeks reddened even more, the sight making the princess smile. “Look, Adora, you obviously are important to my sister, which means any questions you have are valid and I’ll answer them. Besides, it’s not like I’m ashamed of Mia or anything and Catra deserves to know about her anyway.”

Once the two were settled onto the bench, the blonde glanced around nervously, unaware of how to start this conversation. She knew that Chloe was younger than Catra, her exact age being unknown, but she was young. Young enough to have had Mia, who looked around four or five, at an even _younger_ age. The only experience Adora had with situations like this were rather negative. In the Horde, any cadet (especially the younger ones) that had gotten pregnant, had been taken to have it…taken care of. That cadet had then disappeared and never seen again.

“I was sixteen when I had her.”

“What?”

Chloe smiled at the blonde, resting her hands in her lap as said center of this conversation came running back out of the kitchen cookie in hand. She watched as the girl plopped down a few feet from them, not even bothering to pay attention to the adults. “I assume that’s mostly what you wanted to ask; how old I was when I had her. I was sixteen.”

It was definitely a much younger age than Adora had been expecting to hear, but she didn’t prod further, instead choosing to watch the young girl as she snacked on her cookie.

“I was to be named the crowned princess that year. It was hard, on all of us, and I took to making everyone’s life a little harder that year. Instead of accepting my responsibilities, I went out and made a fool out of myself. Mia’s father was a drunken one-night stand. I don’t even remember his name, let alone his face.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

The princess shrugged, eyeing the blonde. “You seem like a trustworthy person, Adora.”

The hero nodded, still paying attention to the young magicat that had now climbed her way up into her mother’s lap, the small girl’s eyes drooping closed. “I won’t tell anyone. I promise.”

Once again, the princess shrugged, her own golden eyes glancing down to stare at the small child now snoozing peacefully against her chest. “I don’t doubt your word, _She-Ra_.”

Adora laughed lightly at the other girl’s lighthearted tone, the two lapsing into comfortable silence save for the soft snores of Mia.

“How long have you known her?”

“Who? Catra?”

Upon receiving a nod from the princess, the blonde recounted everything to the princess, telling her of their childhood in the Horde, being on opposite sides of the war, Prime and their year spent rebuilding the world after defeating him.

“That’s quite a love story. One for the books.”

Adora chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck. “Yeah. I guess so. She really means a lot to me, ya know?”

“I can tell. I’m glad she had you, though. It’s a little less daunting knowing that she wasn’t completely alone after…everything.”

The two fell into silence again, both girls reflecting on things. In the short amount of time that they’d spent together, there had been an unspoken bridge built between the two of them. They were both trying to erase some of the uneasiness in this situation by getting to know each other, for Catra’s sake.

“Do you want to know anything about her? About Catra?”

Adora watched as the princess frowned slightly. “I guess a person can change a lot in seventeen years, huh? I didn’t bother to think that she might be a different person than I remember her as.”

“How do you remember her?”

The blonde immediately noticed the smile that appeared on the brunette’s face, tinged slightly in sadness as the princess obviously was flooded with memories. “I don’t remember much, honestly. I just remember her always protecting me, that I wanted nothing more than grow up being exactly like her.”

“How old were you when she was taken?”

“Three, almost four.”

Adora paused slightly, thinking of something she could say to erase the unreadable look on the princess’s face. “She’s…stubborn. In a good and bad way. But she’s also incredibly kind, even though she tries to put on this hard front that she doesn’t care what people think of her. She’s just a huge softy underneath. Just don’t tell her I told you that. She’ll kill me.”

Chloe laughed lightly, promising the blonde that she wouldn’t pass on any secrets. “Is it weird that you know more about my sister than I do?”

“Not really, considering the circumstances. You’ll get the chance to know her, though.”

This made the princess want to laugh at the absurdity of that statement. Surely like their mother, Catra had to place some of the blame for this mess on her shoulders. Chloe wouldn’t be surprised if her sister wanted absolutely nothing to do with her. “Is she doing okay?”

“She’s handling it better than I thought she would. Although, the only reason I’m out here is because she kicked me out of the bedroom. She said she needed time alone to think, which I don’t blame her for. This is all…so out of whack.”

The brunette hummed in agreement, her thoughts filling of her sister sitting somewhere in the castle. She was itching to speak to the woman, but had refrained from doing so, simply because her fear was keeping her from doing so. She didn’t want to face her sister and know that she blamed her for her disappearance. Chloe honestly didn’t think she could stand it.

“Why do you look so guilty all of a sudden?”

Chloe frowned, turning her face away from the blonde as she tried to school her features slightly. “What?”

“Your face. It looked guilty, like you were-. Oh. Chloe, I know about the dream. Catra told me about it. If you…if you feel guilty about what happened, you shouldn’t. I don’t think Catra blames you for what happened. She’s more pissed off at Shadow Weaver than anything.”

When Adora noticed the emotionless expression on the princess’s face Adora’s heartrate spiked. Leave it to her to overstep and stick her own foot in her mouth. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to just…overstep like that. I just-.”

A clawed hand reached out to gently lay overtop of the blonde’s forearm. “Adora, it’s fine. You didn’t overstep. I…appreciate what you said. It’s not like you were wrong in your assumptions. If I hadn’t been playing so close to the gate, none of this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Yeah, but then I wouldn’t have met Catra. And you might not have had Mia.”

The blonde watched as a sad look washed over the princess’s features. “Maybe you’re right, Adora.”

Somehow, the blonde felt as if the brunette had heard what she said but didn’t believe it. Whatever guilt the girl was carrying around couldn’t be lifted by her, Adora knew that. If anything, Catra had to be the one to tell her sister this. If what she said was true, and she genuinely didn’t think Catra blamed her sister, then it would take time to change the girl’s mind. Apparently the two girls were more alike than seemed possible.

“I should probably go back and see if she’s okay.”

Chloe nodded, watching as the blonde rose from the bench. “Of course. I’m sorry we took up so much of your day. It was nice talking to you, Adora. If you all need anything, you can always come find me. I think your all’s room is just around the corner from mine.”

“Cool. Uh, would it be alright if we talked again? Like tomorrow? I think Bow and Glimmer would love to meet Mia. And Catra, maybe.”

The brunette stood up, cradling the small child to her chest when the girl let out a sleepy yawn, golden eyes cracking open to glance between the two adults. “Sure. We can meet back out here. Mia and I usually spend as much time as she can outdoors. Less things get destroyed that way. After lunch okay?”

“Absolutely. We will see you then.”

After receiving a small wave from the tiny princess in her mother’s arm (and Adora’s heart melted at the “Bye, ‘Dora” the small magicat had mumbled to her), the blonde watched as the two disappeared around the corner of the courtyard, leaving her to navigate back to her and Catra’s room feeling much more lighter than she had this morning.

If anything, Adora was hopeful that Catra knowing she had a niece would help ease things along. While her girlfriend did tend to be somewhat abrasive, the brunette was always so well with children. They may have loved She-Ra, but there wasn’t a child they’d met yet that Catra couldn’t make laugh or had a problem playing with. It was a side of her partner that Adora loved to see, that was always the center of fantasies about Catra with their own children someday.

With a smile, Adora slid into their shared room, thinking back to the small magicat child with tiny ears and a tiny tail. She couldn’t wait to tell Catra, hoping that this would be one small step towards progress.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Best Friend Squad meet Mia and get to know Chloe a little better. Catra feels out of place and unsure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! I have been working on this chapter for like three days now. I've wrote it, deleted most of it, re-wrote it and deleted half of it before finally coming up with this. It's not exactly how I pictured this chapter going, I ended up changing a lot of things and focused more on Catra's reaction and thoughts to meeting her niece for the first time. However, I am kind of happy with how it turned out, mainly because I wanted to write a chapter with Adora and Chloe sparring against each other. And hell, I'm the writer, so if I want to include it I will. And I did. 
> 
> We're going to basically kick it up from here. Things are about to get angsty as fuck. There's a brief mention of implied child abuse in this chapter, but I won't be going into any specific details until later on in the story. 
> 
> Still no word on the specific update schedule yet. I'm officially cleared to go back to work, but my transfer fell through to the store in the town I now live in. It's like a 40+ minute drive back to my hometown where my old job was, so it looks like I'm going to be on the hunt for a new job. Once something settles, though, I'll let you all know how it's going to impact this story and updates. Hopefully it won't put too much of a ringer into things, I'm really loving writing this story and it's so personal for me. 
> 
> As many of you have became aware, Chloe has obvious issues with her guilt surrounding her sister's disappearance and how it affected her relationship with her parents. That is pulled straight out of my own life. I had a sister who passed away before I was born, in fact I wasn't planned at all and my parents have made it clear that I knew this growing up. I spent eighteen years living in the shadow of my sibling, never being able to fully live up to the expectations my parents had for me. I was never good enough for them, not like my sister would have been and most definitely have not lived up to the standards that my adopted younger sister has (basically, she's straight and in an abusive relationship with an asshole of a guy, but she had my niece and since I'm gay and married to a woman, I'm the disappointment). They've reminded me of this plenty of times, and it's strained our relationship severely. Most of what Chloe feels are things and thoughts that I've felt, and that's going to come into play in the next few chapters.
> 
> But enough of the heavy shit, go enjoy this chapter and let me know what you all think!

In hindsight, Chloe should have probably told Adora to meet them in the courtyard half an hour after lunch. Getting a toddler ready and fed was hard enough, let alone doing it all successfully on a time restraint. Which is why the princess was letting out another groan as tiny footsteps hurried away from her, giggles escaping the toddler as she dashed away from her mother’s hands.

“Mia, come here and let me put your shirt on!”

With a dramatic sigh, the young magicat stopped near her mother, arms flopping down to her sides. “But Mommy, I wants to play!”

Taking advantage of the girl’s momentary stillness, the princess leaped forward, catching the girl around the waist with one hand. “As soon as you’re dressed we will go play.”

As if the toddler suddenly remembered their plans, golden eyes brightened considerably with a gasp. “Will ‘Dora play with me today, Mommy?”

“Maybe, if you ask her nicely.”

The smaller magicat, now in a shirt, let out a grunt as she pulled on her mother’s hand in a vain attempt to pull the woman towards the bedroom door. “Let’s go, Mommy! I wants to play with ‘Dora!”

Kneeling down in front of the girl, Chloe gently tugged on the toddler’s shirt to gain her attention. She figured it would be best to try and explain everything as best as she could before they all met up, before Mia overwhelmed her (she assumed) already overwhelmed sister. Granted, she knew the child wouldn’t understand it all completely, but she wasn’t going to leave her daughter in the dark about her aunt.

“Hey, kiddo, before we go play I need you to listen to me, okay? We’re going to be meeting with Adora’s friends today too, and also someone else. Someone…important. You’re gonna meet your aunt Catra, today, kiddo. She’s Mommy’s older sister, and she’s been gone for a while and doesn’t remember us right now, so we have to make sure we’re super extra nice today. Sound good?”

The toddler nodded seriously; her eyebrows pulled together in determination. She could remember her grandfather telling her stories of her mother and aunt getting into trouble when they were her age. She hadn’t understood why she had never met the woman, but she knew her aunt was important to everyone, so she was going to be extra, _extra_ super good. Just like her mother said to.

“Will Cashra play with me, too?”

Sweeping the toddler up into her arms, Chloe placed a kiss to the girl’s cheek, reveling in the small giggled she received in return. “Maybe. Are you ready to go?”

After receiving a nod from the little girl tucked in her arms, the princess started off towards the courtyard, hoping that the blonde, her sister and her friends wouldn’t be to upset with their lateness. Which Chloe knew was just her nerves speaking. The brunette had spent the better part of the night tossing and turning in bed thinking about why she agreed to this meeting. The last thing she wanted to do was spend any amount of time with her sister.

Not that she didn’t want to. It was the opposite for the princess. She wanted nothing more than to get to know the person her sister had become, to learn of the childhood she never got to become a part of. But there always that nagging voice in the back of her head reminding the princess that the person she had to blame for missing out on her sister’s life was _herself_. The brunette wasn’t exactly looking forward to coming face to face with that, let alone hearing it if her sister was harboring the same feelings. But nevertheless, she would persist. Just as she always did. If there was anything having a child so young has taught Chloe, it’s that she could bounce back from anything.

Once they reached the doors, Chloe placed the toddler on the ground, watching with amusement as the girl took off out into the courtyard in the direction of the other four already present as fast as her legs could carry her, the princess opting to follow at a much slower pace.

* * *

Catra’s well-trained accurate ears caught the scurrying first, forcing the magicat to stop midway through her sentence as she turned slightly to see the small child currently running in their direction, face bright and full of happiness.

There weren’t many children in the Horde, or at least many that Catra had seen. The children that were abandoned or orphaned, much like her, were always kept separate from the others until a certain age and the only other children she came into contact with were the other cadets their age that eventually became a part of their team and the people they shared living spaces within the barracks.

When Adora had came back to their room last night the magicat had been in a terribly sour mood. Much worse than the one the blonde had left her in. Catra had been unable to unblock any more memories and only succeeded in creating one hell of headache. She hadn’t been in much of a mood to talk about anything, especially anything regarding the lives (and the life that she was subsequently robbed of) that had been tossed in her lap.

But Adora had told her she had a niece, and that alone had the magicat’s heart lurching in more ways than one.

Catra had spent many nights in the Fright Zone, sleeping at the foot of Adora’s bunk dreaming of what it would be like to have a family. She’d been told early on, mostly by Shadow Weaver, but also by the other cadets and Fore Captains that she was worthless…that even her own family had abandoned her with such ease that they had tossed her into a cardboard box with “FREE” hastily scribbled on the side and left at the doors of the Horde. Most of the time Catra believed them. She had taken each jab, both verbally and physically, thrown at her in stride, creating the stoic shell of person she had become. But it was all just an act at the end of the night.

She was still a child that had been left, a child that wanted to prove just how wrong everyone was about her. She had pushed hard to earn her spot as second best, just behind her blonde best friend, not that it ever mattered. Catra _still_ wouldn’t be good enough for Shadow Weaver, good enough to become respected by her fellow soldiers…good enough for Adora.

So the magicat would spend a few hours at night, staring into the pitch blackness of the Horde’s barracks, the sounds of other cadet’s snoring in the background and pretend that she was good enough to be loved by her family. She’d spend a good majority of her time creating this idealist picture of what she thought her parents looked like, their jobs, what her life would have been like had they not given her up. She pretended that she was happy, loved and _good enough_ to warrant their love and affection without having to be the best. She pretended they loved her just because she was herself, lankly limbs that she hadn’t yet grown into with her wild mane of hair and all. It was fantasy she allotted herself to live in, for just a few moments, that lured her into sleep and allowed her the courage to face the day’s events the next day.

Catra had long since given up that dream, giving up on trying to prove herself to anyone and instead let herself fall into the warmth of comfort her blonde best friend and for her, that was enough. Adora had been enough for her to forget about her childish dream of a family waiting for her just around the corner. When Adora left the join the rebellion, well, it had only cemented her apparent uselessness for herself, that she was truly and utterly alone in life and always would be. That’s the life she’d always be meant to live, the life she resigned herself to. Until this year, until Adora had presented that Catra shaped hole in her life and her heart that was always waiting for her, had been made the day the two had met. The magicat had slowly been learning to love herself and let others love her as well, to become more open to the idea of family now that she had been given a spot in one.

But now, now that the magicat had been given her idyllic life of parents, a sibling and an apparent niece, Catra found herself angry and sad that they would never get to share those moments together that she used to dream of back in the Horde. There were years and years of things that they had missed out on, that had been taken away from them, _so_ much that they couldn’t get back.

And as Catra took in her niece for the first time, taking note of how much the child looked like her sister and even herself, she felt her heart break into a thousand pieces. Out of every single moment she’d dreamt up in the Horde, she never once factored into having a sibling (something she didn’t even knew existed until someone in Brightmoon had explained it to her, along with the concept of other family members) let alone having a niece of her own. But she did have a sibling, a sister who had her own daughter…a niece whose life she had missed out on for four years. And to top it all off, the kid probably didn’t even know who she was and seemed to have being doing just fine without her, as did her sister.

She didn’t belong here. That much was abundantly clear.

Bringing herself back to the present, Catra watched as the child stopped a few feet in front of their group, now looking slightly hesitant. The others had taken notice of the appearance of the princess and the toddler sometime during her inner musings, Sparkles and her fiancé were gushing over the sight of the child while her own girlfriend looked on with a sense of fondness as said child rushed up to her and wrapped her tiny arms around the blonde’s legs, something that sparked a sense of jealousy in the magicat’s chest.

How was it fair that Catra felt like the odd one out when standing in front of members of her own fucking family, even if she didn’t remember them, and her own _girlfriend_ already had developed some type of bond with her sister and niece?

“Hey, Mia. How’s it hanging, warrior princess?”

The toddler peeked over at the Queen and her fiancé, letting out a quiet greeting before golden eyes settled on Catra’s mismatched own. It was a weird feeling, having a toddler’s eyes rake over you and seemingly being able to look into your very soul. Catra had been given many looks before in her life, but none could make her as uneasy as she did right now, very much aware that if her niece chose to hate her, and really Catra wouldn’t blame her if she ended up doing just that, any hope of creating some type of bond with her birth family would be near impossible.

Slowly, as if the child sensed the taller woman’s fear, detached herself from Adora’s legs to stand in front of her. “Are you my Aunt Cashra?”

Feeling her ears tilt slightly, Catra coughed awkwardly. “Uh, yes?”

Despite her answer coming out more as a question itself, any ounce of uncertainty in the toddler’s demeanor disappeared completely as she was presented with a dazzling smile. “Your eyes are pwetty, Aunt Cashra. They look like gammaws! Will you and ‘Dora and your fwends play with me, pwease? Mommy said I need to ask nicely.”

If the magicat felt overwhelmed before, she didn’t know how to explain how she felt now, her own eyes widening slightly as she glanced up in a panic to find her sister already striding over towards the two.

“Mia, honey, how about you ask Markus if you can watch him and the other train for a little while? Maybe we can all play a game together later.”

In true toddler fashion, the girl’s attention span was immediately entertained with the idea of watching the guard train, taking off around the corner of the courtyard and leaving the adults behind without a second thought. On the rare occasion that Delilah wasn’t pestering her with her teachings the older magicat would bring her down to watch her mother practice with the guards. She wanted nothing more than to become as strong as her mother someday.

With her niece out of sight Catra felt like she could finally breath again, her shoulders slumping forward slightly. Thankfully, no one mentioned it, not that the feline would be able to put the warring emotions in her head into a comprehendible sentence.

Her niece apparently fully accepting her wasn’t what Catra had been expecting, hell she hadn’t expected to find a fucking family when they started this trek to find Halfmoon, but she would be lying if she said she wasn’t slightly over the moon that her niece didn’t absolutely hate her right off the bat.

“Oh. My. Goodness. She is adorable!”

Adora smiled as she listened to Glimmer and Bow gush to the princess about how cute they thought her daughter was, placing what she hoped was a comforting hand on her partner’s shoulder as she watched Chloe’s eyes widen slightly upon being handed so many compliments and shoved into a conversation with two people she barely knew.

She knew that there were a thousand and one things running through her girlfriend’s mind, but also knew that the best option was to let the other woman have a few moments to think things through and that she’d come to the blonde if and when she was ready to talk about it all. Or that the brunette would eventually voice her thoughts and concerns to the others if she wanted to. For now, though, she would offer any sense of comfort that she could give her love.

“You seem pretty young, Chloe. How old were you when you had Mia?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Adora watched as the princess sent her a quick, confused glance before the younger woman’s arms came up to wrap around herself in a seemingly comforting manner. The blonde knew that the princess assumed she had told everyone what she knew, but Adora had meant what she promised the princess yesterday. It wasn’t her story to tell, not even to her partner. Chloe deserved the chance and the option to share it with the others if she wanted to. It was only just a matter of time before someone, and of course it was the Queen of Brightmoon, steered the conversation into this territory.

“I was, uh, sixteen. When I had her.”

Catra’s eyebrows raised slightly with the new information. Adora had been scarce in offering any answers to her endless questioning last night after she broke the news to the magicat. She had pieced the situation together on her own, knowing that her sister was younger than her and therefore had gotten pregnant rather young, but hearing about it was a different feeling. She suddenly wanted to know everything that her younger sibling had went through, wanted to question where Mia’s father was, who he was and why her sister seemed to be shrinking into herself at this topic of conversation.

“That…that is young. That had to have been hard.”

Catra watched as her sister shrugged a shoulder, her golden eyes glazing over and seemingly getting lost somewhere that wasn’t here. “It was, I guess. I had it kind of easy, though, being in the castle and having help. It could have been worse.”

Adora, sensing that this particular topic wasn’t something the princess wanted to discuss twice in the short amount of time between yesterday and now, cleared her throat. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m actually kind of curious to see how you all train here in Halfmoon. I was impressed with the guards moves a few days ago. Would it be alright if we sat in on a training session, too?”

The princess seemed to shake herself for a moment, her once cloudy eyes clearing back to their normal and bright golden color. “Yeah, they don’t mind. Some of the other children like to sit in and watch, it shouldn’t be a problem. Besides, I suddenly want to punch something.”

Without waiting for the others, the princess took off in the same direction her daughter had, leaving Adora and the others to follow, the blonde mentally making the note of how much Chloe reminded her of Catra in the way she acted and responded to things. It was apparent that the two siblings were far more alike than first appeared, and it was slightly concerning to the hero. She knew where Catra’s walls and hard demeanor rooted from, years of Shadow Weaver’s abuse and her own self-hatred. The blonde had caught a glimpse of the broken girl the princess hid yesterday during their talk, but she silently was fearful that there was a possibility that Chloe had been through something similar to her girlfriend that made the other girl seem so guarded.

As the group rounded the corner it was easy to identify where they were heading. The sounds of grunts and the clash of weapons had been steadily growing the moment the closer they came to the edge of the courtyard. Dug out in the ground was an oval shaped pit big enough to fit at least twenty or so people, the circumference surrounded by large stone benches that random children and guards who weren’t engaging in fights were sitting on, watching the various magicats coupled off exchange blows and defensively dance around each other in a unified, practiced form.

Off to one side, where a slightly larger group of children were watching the sparring with wide and curious eyes, the princess was standing behind them, watching with her own rapt attention at the various movements coming from the guards.

“Wow, and I thought our guards were well oiled machines.”

Chloe chuckled at the Glimmer’s offhanded comment as they joined to stand by her, her eyes never leaving the match taking place closest to them. “My father and I both agreed that the guard should be prepared for anything. They stick to a strict training regimen.”

Interest peaked, Adora leaned forward slightly to look around Bow towards the princess. “You’re in charge of the guard?”

“Kind of. It’s one of the responsibilities I have, maintaining them, but I don’t oversee them per say. That would be Markus, the man you all met yesterday. I just give the orders through him and he sees them out.”

Speaking of Markus, the large magicat of a man broke off from the other guards he was speaking to, just now taking notice of the princess and their guests’ presence. The man was huge, towering easily over the rest of them by a few feet. His fur and mane were dark gray, almost black, a stark contrast to the light pink scars littering the man’s body that wasn’t covered by his uniform. He was intimidating and his voice shook with authority in a low tone that made the chests of anyone near him vibrate. “Princess. I wasn’t aware you were going to be joining us today. Delilah informed me you were taking a few days off.”

Chloe shrugged, finally tearing her eyes away from the guards who had stopped sparing now that her presence had been pointed out. “I am. We’re just here to watch. Please, don’t stop on my account.”

The giant magicat of a man raised an eyebrow, his arms crossing over his chest as his steely green eyes turned towards Adora. “Well, it’s not every day that we’re being graced with the presence of both the Princess and the mighty She-Ra. It’s an honor to officially meet you.”

Adora laughed awkwardly, rubbing at the base of her neck as the other guards started whisperings amongst themselves. The added spectators of both woman leaving each on edge to perform slightly better. “Uh, thanks. Your guys look pretty good. They have a nice form.”

“Good enough to take you on?”

Catra wanted to groan and claw out the man’s eyes. If there was one thing the blonde couldn’t resist, it was a goad into a competition. Especially if that competition involved fighting and judging by the determined look on her girlfriend’s face, there was no stopping the blonde now. “Oh, your _so_ on. Who’s your best fighter?”

Markus smiled slightly. “If I’m being honest, our best fighter is our princess over here.”

The brunette watched as her sister’s eyes narrowed slightly before her girlfriend turned to the woman. “What do you say, _princess_? Wanna give it a round or two?”

Whatever conversation had taken place between the two yesterday apparently had given the blonde the courage to tease the princess, that same feeling of jealousy settling within Catra’s chest as she watched her sister adopt her own look of determination. “I’m only saying yes because I want to wipe that cocky grin off your face, _She-Ra_.”

In hindsight, Catra knew she had no plausible reason to be jealous of her sister and her girlfriend getting along so well. That’s what Adora did best after all, right behind her tendency to sacrifice herself for anything and everything, Adora could make friends with a rock. Out of the two of them the blonde had always been the one to keep the peace between the other cadets back in the Horde, had brought the princess alliance back together and continued to capture people’s hearts every day by simply just being herself.

If anything, Catra should be thankful that the two have developed some type of bond, but she couldn’t help but revert back to her old ways. Everyone always loved Adora, everyone chose Adora over her and Catra would always be second best. Even her own sister saw that, considering the girl hadn’t even said a word to her since that awkward moment between the two of them outside of Halfmoon when they first met.

Keeping her own selfish thoughts to herself, Catra resigned to watching the two enter the pit, Adora shedding her jacket while her sister rolled up the sleeves of her button up shirt, the children, their friends and the other members of the guards letting out rounds of cheers and yells as the two women stood in front of each other.

It was clear that after a few seconds of the sparing match that the two were pretty much evenly matched. The hero and the princess danced around each other with relative ease, dodging the other’s well-timed blows and letting out laughs every once in a while after a few close calls.

After a few moments of the two repeating this back-and-forth type of banter, the blonde kicked it up a notch, knowing that if they kept this up she would run out of stamina and the princes would catch her off guard. If Chloe fought like Catra did, then her ability to be agile and quick would give her the slight upper hand. Adora changed the angle of her fist as it came flying towards the princess, her hand barely brushing past the girl’s shoulder as she turned sharply, jutting an elbow into the blonde’s side that had Adora grunting slightly.

Anticipating where the girl would step after another wide swing, the blonde was quick to grasp onto the princess’s shirt, bunching the fabric up and curling her bicep towards her to throw the other woman off balance. It would have worked, should have, but Adora noticed the smirk on the brunette’s face and was far too late to react to the clawed hands that grabbed onto her arm, the other girl using the momentum of Adora’s move and the taller girl’s muscled form to propel herself over the blonde’s shoulder in a graceful move that told the hero she had definitely lost this fight. A few seconds later, Adora found herself with her arm pinned behind her back, panting from the exertion but smiling nonetheless. It had been too long since she sparred with someone, and it felt good to do to release some of her own tenseness from the past few days.

The crowd of people cheered as the princess released the blonde, panting herself as she wiped away the sweat forming on her brow. “I gotta hand it to you, _She-Ra_. That was quite the workout. You good?”

Adora clapped the girl on the shoulder, blue eyes bright with mirth and the adrenaline that was still swimming in her system from the fight. “Perfect! That was awesome, you have to teach me how to do that!”

Chancing at glance towards the group where her daughter and the others were sitting, Chloe took notice of the slight frown on her sister’s face, wincing slightly. “Uh, sure, Adora.”

Over the sound of the children laughing and the few people still cheering, a particularly loud voice boomed over the others, the pit almost falling into complete silence as all heads turned towards the source. Standing just above the most northern part of the training pit was a woman with mismatched eyes staring down at the sight in front of her. It was obvious that the woman had been watching the fight, but no one had seemed to notice her until now. Whoever this was, the air around the pit was suddenly charged with tension and respect, she was important.

Adora felt the princess tense where her hand was still resting on the girl’s shoulder, her eyes widening slightly as the brunette cleared her throat and muttered, “Hello, mother.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and the others meet her mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really shouldn't be writing while I'm sick (I have a bug and I'm so tired), but I've completed as much homework as I can until my next Zoom class tomorrow and I had nothing else better to do. I'm going to apologize if there's a lot of errors in this chapter or if it sounds rushed or anything. 
> 
> The next chapter will be the dinner, where some things are discussed and then afterwards Catra and Chloe are going to talk. 
> 
> Continue to let me know what you all think! Also, I'm going to continue to carry over my tradition that I started over on some other online platforms. I understand how hard it is, to have questions regarding your sexuality and dealing with family members or friends who may not be the most supportive. I have an email, under my username that I use for everything online that doesn't give away any of my personal information. It's just there so if anyone feels like they want to talk to a friend, they have the option to do with me. We can talk about whatever, even if it's just about She-Ra or by sending cute pictures of otters back and fourth. But that email is commanderraccoon13@outlook.com
> 
> If anyone needs to vent, feel free to hit me up. I have the National Suicide Hotline's number in my phone if you're struggling, even have contact information for some counselors through the Trevor Project if you need that. You're not alone out there and your feelings are valid. I check it at least once a day if I can. If you or anyone you know might want to talk, feel free to send me a message. I'm not a psychiatrist, but I have my own experiences and enough love for anyone who needs it. 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter, you guys.

“It’s nice to see that our guard is so _preoccupied_ watching rather than training, Markus.”

Adora watched as the giant of a man bowed respectively in front of the woman, taking one knee as he kept his head bent towards the ground. “Forgive me, my Queen. We were simply observing a training exercise between the princess and She-Ra.”

As the queen turned her attention to the blonde, Adora suddenly felt two feet tall. There was no denying that the woman and her girlfriend were related, it was like looking at an older version of Catra, mismatched eyes and all. The queen was dressed similarly to how Chloe was, a red cape connected to her shoulders. Centered between her dark ears was a grown, golden and shining in the light. The most distinctive feature of the queen, however, was the singular scar running from the corner of her mouth up to her eyebrow and disappearing into her brown mane of hair. She was definitely an intimidating person despite the smile she was now supporting.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, She-Ra. I apologize for my absence in the meeting you all had with my husband. It was not my intention to be rude or to make it seem as if you all were unwelcomed in Halfmoon.”

The blonde nodded, still unsure of how to respond to the queen. Her tone was starkly different than her stance and demeanor, almost kind and soft. It was like receiving a sharp slap to the face. Not to mention that Chloe was still rigidly standing next to her, the princess’ face completely neutral despite the frown on her face. “Uh, it’s okay. I’m sure this has all been a difficult concept to grasp for you.”

The queen’s mismatched eyes automatically drifted upwards and behind the blonde, Adora’s own blue ones following to find her girlfriend and the queen in a staring match. It felt like a moment that so many people shouldn’t be witnessing, the awkward silence taking over the entire pit uncomfortably.

Without so much as a word, the queen started down into the pit, the guards and children parting for her until she was standing in front of Catra, the latter staring up at the woman with her own unreadable expression.

It had been a shock to the magicat’s system, taking in her mother’s face for the first time. She’d spend so much time as a child imagining exactly how her parents looked, how their voices sounded, if her mismatched eyes were a feature they shared with her. But her dreams hadn’t prepared her for this. For the feeling of dread that filled her stomach as she looked into a pair of eyes that matched her own.

A clawed hand reached up, hesitating slightly before cupping the girl’s jaw with one hand as the queen let out a breathy sigh. “Catra.”

There had always been a specific tone that Shadow Weaver had used for Catra as a child. It was always hard and cold, the disdain dripping from the sorcerer’s voice. She saved what Catra had called her “motherly voice” for the blonde, warm and soft, the underlying affection shining through just a tiny bit. The way her mother said her name, it reminded her of how Shadow Weaver spoke to the blonde and she hated that her insides warmed slightly as she leaned into the woman’s hand.

The moment was interrupted by a pair of tiny arms clawing at the queen’s robe, the queen glancing down to see her granddaughter looking up at her with wide eyes, arms stretched openly in a silent request to be picked up. She was obliged, the toddler wrapping one arm around her grandmother’s neck as she smiled over at her aunt. “Gammaw! Look! Aunt Cashra has eyes just like yours!

Some of the tension of the situation melt away as many of the adults chuckled at the girl’s observations. Catra was thankful for it, as she wasn’t sure how much longer she could take staring into the eyes of her birth mother, seeing the affection her mother obviously held for her as everyone around them watched. Catra absolutely hated being in the spotlight, and the added awkwardness of meeting her family for the first time only made the brunette more antsy.

“I can see that, my sweet. Are you having fun watching the guards spar?”

The queen turned in the direction of her other daughter, carrying the toddler over to where her and the blonde were standing. The queen eyed the blonde curiously as she glanced between the blonde and her eldest daughter, the two sharing an obviously silent conversation that had her eyebrows raising in surprise.

“Yes! Mommy kicked ‘Dora’s butt!”

The older brunette chuckled slightly, setting the girl down on her feet as she turned her attention to her youngest daughter. “Your form was good, although your arch was too high at the end. One mistake could have had your ankle sliding and given your opponent the upper hand.”

Chloe could feel her chest deflating slightly at her mother’s words, scowling at the woman who only raised her eyebrows in return. “I’ll work on it.”

With a nod, Chloe watched as she mother turned back towards the blonde who had moved to stand next to her sister and their friends, a smile encompassing the queen’s face. “The King and I would be honored to have you all join us for dinner tonight, if that’s something you would like. This family has been incomplete for much too long.”

The words wanted to make the princess vomit. Or scream. They weren’t unusual thoughts Chloe had after sharing whatever brief words her mother would give her, always telling the girl how she could improve and rarely giving her praise. The princess could actually remember the last time she and her mother had a real conversation. It had been around Mia’s third birthday almost a year ago, and her mother had invited a _long_ list of suitors from across their kingdom. Sons of members of the guards and others the sons of business owners had taken up most of her time that night, Chloe barely being able to enjoy her daughter’s party. Her mother had told her that it was time she finally settled down and chose a spouse, seeing as the princess’s twenty-first birthday was coming up. Granted Chloe was the crowned princess, she wasn’t taking the throne just yet, something she pointed out to her mother. She also had reminded her mother of her particular taste in her choice of significant other, angry that her mother had sent men her way when she knew her daughter preferred women.

_A woman won’t want to parent another man’s child, Chloe. A man will take Mia as his own._ Those were the words that had sent the princess into a fit, the start of the argument that been long overdue between the two. The princess had voiced it all, how she knew she was never going to be enough for her mother, that she understood her mother was disappointed in her (for Catra’s disappearance and for getting pregnant at sixteen). The queen had only responded by telling her she was done arguing with her, leaving the princess behind on the balcony of the castle’s ballroom and further driving the wedge between the two women.

Since then, any words spoken with her mother were usually short and only when her mother wanted to point out what she did wrong. It was a game that Chloe had become used to playing, trying and failing to never let her mother’s words and distance dig up years of hurt.

* * *

Catra watched the interaction between her sister and mother closely, frowning when she noticed her sister’s tense jaw and how their mother spoke to her and continuing to watch her sister even as she offhandedly agreed to attend dinner with the others. Chloe seemed to be off in her own thoughts, her body language a familiar tune that Catra knew she was fluent in herself. She’d spent her entire life acting the same way towards Shadow Weaver. It was disconcerting to watch, and despite barely knowing the two, she wanted to yell at them for having this type of relationship. Judging by the way her girlfriend was watching the two as well, and the look the blonde shared with her, Adora was sharing the same thoughts as her.

“Right, then I will let you all get back to your day. The dining room is just down the hall from the library, it shouldn’t be too hard to find.”

All the guards bowed as the queen left, disappearing into the castle and leaving the others to watch quietly until there was no sight of the older woman’s brunette mane.

“She seems…nice?”

Chloe scoffed at Bow’s remark, running a hand over her face. The princess felt emotionally drained after sharing the brief moment with her mother. “Yeah. She’s _great_. Listen, I hate to leave you all, but I need to get Mia cleaned up before dinner. Are you all going to be okay finding the dining room?”

After receiving nods from the others, the princess easily swung her daughter up in her arms, mumbling out a goodbye before disappearing into the castle herself, leaving the others to share a look.

“That was really weird. I wasn’t the only one who noticed it, right?”

Adora sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Something tells me that Chloe and the queen don’t really get along.”

“What about you, Catra. Are you alright?”

The brunette tore her eyes away from where her sister’s form had disappeared, turning to see the concerned looks her girlfriend and friends were giving her. “Yeah, no. I’m fine. That honestly wasn’t as terrible as I thought it was going to be. And I have to agree, that was really weird to watch.”

Feeling the blonde’s arm snake around her waist, the two fell in behind Bow and Glimmer as the four made their way back towards the castle after thanking Markus and the other guards for allowing them to sit in on their training. They had all agreed to follow the princess’ idea of cleaning up before dinner, especially if they were going to be in the company of the king and queen. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Catra’s ears titled slightly, her fingers automatically grasping onto Adora’s where they were resting on her hip. “It wasn’t just me, right? You noticed that how they act around each other, it was kinda of like…”

“How Shadow Weaver treated you? Yeah, I caught that. I don’t think it’s necessarily the same, though. I don’t think the queen’s ever hurt Chloe, at least not physically. I mean, she never mentioned how bad their relationship was yesterday.”

“You two had quite the talk, huh?”

The blonde pulled the two of them back slightly, to make sure that Bow and Glimmer wouldn’t overhear them. She’d caught the venom in her girlfriend’s voice, knowing that the brunette wasn’t using it out of spite. She knew Catra better than that. Her partner wasn’t letting on just how overwhelmed she was with everything. “Catra, I didn’t mean to overstep when I talked to Chloe yesterday.”

The magicat sighed, letting go of the blonde’s fingers to wrap her own arm around her girlfriend and squeeze in a silent apology. “No, I shouldn’t have said it like that. I’m glad you two are getting along. I just…what if I’m not good enough for them? What if they think of me the same way everyone in the Horde did? I’m not…I’m not the best at this kind of stuff, or the best just in general. I don’t want to ruin any of this.”

Adora stopped them completely, removing her arm from around the other girl’s waist to grasp her face gently in her hands. “Catra, you are an amazing person. The people in the Horde were stupid to have ever doubted how incredible you were, how incredible you are. Shadow Weaver, Hordak, all of them: they were wrong. These people, your family, they’re going to love the woman that you are, just like we all do. All you have to do is be yourself. You don’t have to try and impress them. If they can’t accept you, then that’s on them. You’re perfect, Catra.”

The magicat brought her hands up to cover the blonde’s, swallowing the emotions that were tightening her throat. “I love you.”

Adora smiled, her usual smirk that never failed to make the magicat’s heart thump wildly in her chest. “I love you, too.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner with the family, some obvious drama and a conversation between siblings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *insert dramatic noise here* 
> 
> We just made 3,000 hits and over 200 kudos! Geeze, that is a lot of love. I wasn't lying when I said that I'm so happy to have found this fandom and this show. Your all's love for this story, the amount of passion that I've met from other fans, it's been an amazing journey so far and I'm glad that I'm making it with you all. 
> 
> As far as an update on the posting schedule, I still don't have one. I officially quit my job today, the store in the city that I moved to has rejected my transfer for the 3rd time and I can't afford to drive the 40+ minute drive almost every day for what little hours I was working at my old store. I'm sad to leave, I loved my job and I especially loved my coworkers. But I'm remaining hopeful. I've applied to work with a 24/7 crisis hotline for LGTBQ+ kids and teens, something that I'm highly passionate about. As a member of that community I want to help as much as I can. I didn't have any support when I first start questioning my sexuality and then later when I came out. Now that I'm out of my parent's house, married to an amazing woman I've realized that others went through similar things I did. I would have killed for someone to talk to, so I want to be that for others. So keep your fingers crossed I get the job! I've got a lot of experience with the public so hopefully they take me on. Any good thoughts and vibes would be appreciated.
> 
> Anyway, on to the important stuff, why you're all here: the story! This chapter was so much fun to write. I've been working on it since 4 this morning and in between classes and assignments and I'm really happy with how it turned out. I hope you all feel the same. Things are going to go uphill for a little while, mostly I'm going to have Catra getting to know her family more and everyone working on their issues. Not to mention that we still have to get around to Adora's proposal (that will be happening in this story eventually, I promise, so will a Catradora wedding!) I've been asked about Finn. I am not including them in this story, at least there are no plans to include them. I have thought about doing a sequel after I've finished this one, just like a series of one shots about everyone's lives and stuff. I'll probably end up doing that, and Finn will probably be in there somewhere. Most likely. You can probably count on it. 
> 
> Please continue to send this story as much as you can and want. I love you all, you're all amazing people! Remember my inbox is open if anyone ever wants to talk, just hit me up at commanderraccoon13@outlook.com
> 
> And I have to do a special shoutout to Maria. Darling, this chapter is dedicated to you!

The sound of silverware scraping against plates was the only sound that filled the dining room, save for the random things Mia kept rambling on about. Luckily for the toddler she was immune to the awkward tension radiating from everyone in the room.

Glances were thrown across the table, the best friend squad answering questions that were thrown their way out of politeness. The King and Queen had attempted to make conversation, wanting to get to know the person their daughter had grown up to be and her friends. They’d manage to speak about Brightmoon, the war and how it ended. Now, halfway through the dinner, they seemed to have run out of things to discuss.

Catra was currently drumming her fingers against the inside of Adora’s thigh, mismatched eyes flitting between her family members. Her sister was currently more interested in the food on her plate and her daughter than she was about anything else, only looking up when spoken to. Although it had been their father who had spoken to her, the man himself noticing the rising tension between his youngest daughter and his wife. It was thick enough to cut with a knife, and the magicat was having a hard time keeping herself from saying anything.

“Adora, Ori tells me that you grew up with Catra in the Horde?”

Catra couldn’t help the snort that she made as she watched the blonde pause halfway through bringing a forkful of food towards her open mouth, blue eyes wide as she looked towards the queen. “Uh, yes ma’am. I did.”

C’yra hummed, placing her utensils down on next to her plate as she eyed the blonde who obviously was romantically involved with her eldest daughter. “You must have been successful under the Horde. Your fighting skills that I witness earlier, they were immaculate.”

“Thank you, but I wouldn’t say I was _successful_.”

Her girlfriend scoffed, squeezing the thigh under her hand lightly. “Don’t sell yourself short, Adora. She was the top of our class, in charge of our team and was even promoted to Force Captain before she joined the rebellion.”

Glimmer nodded across the table from them, smiling at her blonde friend affectionately. “After she joined us, that’s when we started winning battles and taking villages back. Granted, we had She-Ra, but we also benefited from Adora’s background in battle tactics. Although she’s no where near as good at that as Catra is.”

“Thank you, Sparkles. I’m glad someone finally said that out loud.”

That earned the brunette an elbow to the side, the blonde sending her a playful scowl as the table’s members laughed lightly. “Funny. Absolutely hilarious.”

“And how long have you two been together?”

Every head snapped towards the direction of the queen, who was now staring at the two girls in question, chin resting on her folded hands. Adora cleared her throat, silently looking towards her girlfriend. They both have figured the subject of their relationship would come up eventually. “A little over a year.”

Glimmer chuckled, shaking her head. “Unless you count those three years you were at each other’s throats, pining over each other in the worst way possible. It was annoying. You two should have just pulled your heads out of your asses.”

C’yra nodded, intrigued by what the Queen of Brightmoon said. They’d been informed of Catra’s history fighting with the Horde, but she was curious as to how her daughter and the blonde have come together as a couple. “Any plans for marriage yet?”

Adora choked on the drink of water she was taking, repeatedly thumping herself on the chest to clear her airways as Catra rubbed her back silently, the magicat’s face beet red at the sudden change of the conversation. “We, uh, haven’t really talked about it.”

“Well you should. It would be a strong move politically, the princess of Halfmoon marrying She-Ra. Wise choice there. We would be lucky to bring you into the family, Adora.”

The sound of a chair scraping against the polished dining room floor sent the room into silence, all eyes turning towards Chloe as she glared down towards her hands that were gripping the side of the table tightly, claws digging into the wood. “I apologize, but I need to excuse myself for the night.”

“Chloe, it’s impolite for a princess to leave in the middle of dinner.”

The princess’ eyes narrowed in the direction of the queen; teeth clenched together in an attempt to keep her rising anger at bay. “It’s a good thing you have another daughter present then isn’t it, _Mother_?”

Ori placed a hand over his wife’s as she opened her mouth to respond. He had hoped they would have been able to get through one dinner without arguing or upsetting each other, the king always having to play peacekeeper between the two. Although even he knew his wife had struck a sour chord in their youngest daughter, something he would be speaking with his wife about later. “It’s fine, Chloe. I’ll bring Mia up after she’s finished.”

The princess gave her father a brief smile. “Thank you, Daddy.”

As the younger woman started out of the dining room, the queen’s voice caused her to hesitate by the door, shoulders slumping forward slightly. “We will discuss this later, Chloe.”

Golden eyes twisted back around to stare at her mother’s, the waver in her voice not missed on anyone else in the room. “Fine, Mom. Whatever.”

The door closed behind the princess with a resounding echo, leaving the other occupants in the room to sit quietly as they processed what had just happened. It wasn’t long after, though, that Bow and Glimmer also excused themselves, taking note that they probably shouldn’t be present for whatever conversation was to follow. After they made their leave, the toddler quietly voiced that she was done eat, the king disappearing with the small magicat after he bid the others goodnight. Adora and Catra were left alone with the queen, the blonde shrinking in her seat as she watched her girlfriend turn her mismatched eyes towards her mother. She knew that look enough to know that she would rather be anywhere than here.

“You wanna explain what that was?”

The queen sighed. “You’ll have to excuse your sister, Catra. She’s a little over sensitive when it comes to topics like marriage.”

“That didn’t seem like an ‘over sensitive’ reaction to me.”

An older pair of mismatched eyes narrowed slightly. “With all due respect, Catra, you barely know the girl. Trust me when I say it’s an overreaction. She simply just doesn’t understand the importance of what a political marriage could do for our kingdom. Your sister chooses to make her own decisions, regardless of what it means to others.”

Catra’s own eyes narrowed at her mother, confusion evident on the magicat’s face. “Decisions about what? About love?”

“Your sister’s past relationships haven’t worked out. I’ve only encouraged her to find someone that would treat her with respect, instead of the girls she’s brought around that only break her heart.”

Understanding washed over Catra’s face, her hands clenching under the table. Adora took notice of the sudden shift in her partner’s mood, standing up from the table with an awkward laugh. “Uh, I’m going to wait outside while you two continue to…talk.”

Once the blonde had left them alone, the younger brunette stood up from her own chair, crossing her arms over her chest. “So it bothers you, then, that Chloe’s been with women? Is that what I’m getting out of this conversation?”

“Absolutely not! I could care less about someone’s personal choice to be with whatever sex they prefer. I only care that choses the wrong ones. She needs someone who can handle this life, being with a member of royalty and we have Mia to think of. A woman won’t want to parent another man’s child. Why am I even discussing this with you?”

“That’s not your choice to make! It’s hers!”

C’yra stood up suddenly, fists slamming on the table. “Enough, Catra! I am done discussing this with you.”

The younger woman let out a sigh, uncrossing her arms from her chest. “It’s not right, your relationship with her. It reminds me too much of…of someone I used to know.”

“It isn’t your place to-.”

“Yes, it is my place! I’ve been spending the past three days wrapping my head around this, trying to get used to the fact that I have a family. But it still is my family, I have every right to voice my opinion about this! I don’t want to belong to a family that pushes each other away, I’ve spent enough of my life suffering from that, I refuse to do it here. Maybe this was a mistake, coming here. It’s obvious that I don’t belong here.”

The queen visibly deflated, all anger washing from the woman’s face, replaced with a defeated look. “Catra.”

“I’m…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-.”

C’yra chuckled sadly, running her hand through her dark locks. “No. You’re right. I’ll admit that your sister and I don’t exactly see eye-to-eye on most things. Our relationship is strained, I know that. I just don’t know how to fix it. Please, though, don’t leave. Don’t let my own issues keep you from getting to know your family. It means so much to your father and your sister, to me. We _just_ got you back, Catra.”

Eyeing the queen, the younger brunette nodded slowly, arms circling around herself. “I won’t. I just got you guys back, too.”

After excusing herself from the room, the magicat crept into the hallway, finding her girlfriend and their friends talking quietly between the three of them. “Hey, guys.”

Thankfully, no one brought the elephant in the room up, the three simply surrounding the brunette and squeezing her into a tight group hug. As they pulled away, Glimmer squeezed the brunette’s upper arm. “Welcome to family drama. Did you enjoy your first taste?”

“Ugh, please, I could easily go the rest of my life without having to do that again.”

As the four made their way along the dimly lit corridors of the castle, most of its inhabitants already in bed save for night guard. Their steps were slow and languid as they spoke of different things, making plans for the upcoming day when a movement out of the corner of Catra’s eye caught her attention. Standing at the end of one of the side hallways, out on one of the castle’s many stone balconies, stood her father and sister obviously deep in conversation.

“Everything okay?”

The magicat hadn’t realized she had stopped, the others a few paces ahead of her. “Oh, yeah. Uh, you guys head on. I’m gonna hang back for a bit.”

Bow and Glimmer nodded, quietly saying their goodbyes. When the two disappeared around the corner, Adora backtracked to stand next to her girlfriend, her eyes full of understanding as she noticed the other two magicats at the end of the hall. “Do you want me to stick around?”

“No. I think I need to talk to them alone. Wait up for me?”

The blonde stepped forward, placing a kiss to the feline’s cheek. “Always.”

After the hero left Catra opted to lean up against the nearest wall, silently observing her father and sister as they continued to talk, not wanting to interrupt to two. She honestly had no idea why she was here; this isn’t exactly how she planned to have her first one-on-one conversations with her family members, amidst the underlying drama that had developed during her life-long absence. But something was compelling her to stick around, a feeling that the brunette couldn’t quite put a name to.

Finally, the king glanced up, his golden eyes meeting his eldest daughter’s own for a quick second before he vacated the balcony and made his way towards the young woman his daughter had become. It was bittersweet, to meet this person who was so different from the child he once knew. The last memory he could recall of the girl had been the morning of her disappearance (kidnapping, now that _that_ piece of information had been handed out), a day Ori was sure he’d memorized every detail of…his own personal torture for the days his sadness overwhelmed him.

He remembered both of his girls running through the castle, their laughter filling his ears before they were sent out into the main square of the town. He and C’yra had been meeting with council members to discuss the building of the local orphanage following a brief incline of orphaned children following an attempted rebel raid and they had thought keeping the girls away would keep their minds from getting distracted and to keep either of them from hearing too many details about the rebels and the losses their kingdom took.

How wrong they had been. If only they knew that from that day onward, they wouldn’t just be losing Catra, but Chloe (in a different way) as well.

But now, looking at the young woman his daughter had become, he was saddened. He’d missed so much. But he was also incredibly proud of her accomplishments, her ability to overcome everything that she’d been put through and he was happy to have the opportunity to get to know her.

He was proud of both of his daughters; of the women they had become.

“Are you alright?”

The brunette nodded, her head tilting back slightly to look up at her father. “Yeah. Does that usually happen during dinners with you guys?”

Ori chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Honestly? Yes. Your sister and mother…they have a complicated relationship.”

Catra snorted, eyes drifting from her father to catch of glimpse of her little sister, the young brunette leaning against the stone railing of the balcony. “I think that’s putting it lightly.”

“Yeah. You’re right. I don’t always agree with what your mother says or does, especially when it comes to Chloe, but I know she does it for the right reasons. C’yra only wants to protect Chloe, after what we all went through with you, it’s something we’ve both tried to do. But unfortunately for C’yra that meant protecting her heart from any more damage, and she’s kept Chloe at arm’s length for most of her life. When Mia came along…I can’t tell too much, it’s not my story to tell it’s your sister’s, but I honestly thought we were going to lose Chloe for good. Whether from her pregnancy or because of what it did to her. It only added more fuel to the fire, and now they seem to only be growing further and further apart.”

When the brunette didn’t respond Ori glanced down to see the girl’s eyebrows pulled together, apparently deep in thought, but the king could see the guilt in her mismatched eyes. It was tough, to have to tell the young woman all of this. He didn’t want Catra to feel as if the reason why his wife and youngest had issues was her, he didn’t want that weight on her shoulder’s.

Reaching out, he gently placed a hand on the brunette’s shoulder. “Hey, everything between your mom and sister, none of that is because of you, alright?”

“Isn’t it, though?”

“No, Catra. It’s because we all thought we _lost_ you. Your disappearance, the Horde taking you, none of that was your own doing.”

Ori could tell the girl didn’t believe him, the man’s heart constricting tightly in his chest. Apparently both of his children were carrying around useless guilt for things they couldn’t control. “Listen, I know it’s not going to change how you feel right now, but you should talk to your sister. I think you both could benefit, and heal, from each other. You both need it.”

Catra didn’t understand how her father had managed to hit the metaphorical nail on the head, how he knew she felt partially responsible for everything. The magicat was usually so easily able to hide her feelings, to hide behind her mask and get others to believe she was fine. Maybe it was just a dad thing, but she had to admit that he had a point. It was time she stopped running from this, going to sleep at night in a bed that didn’t belong to her and selfishly hoping that when she woke up the next morning this would all have been just a bad dream. “Okay.”

With a light squeeze to the girl’s shoulder, the king bid her goodnight, leaving the brunette to trudge down the hallway and out onto the balcony. The slight turn of her sister’s head was the only indication that the younger girl knew she was there, the two lapsing into silence as Catra stared out below at the main square. There were still a few people walking around, the shops and businesses illuminated by a few lanterns.

“How does it turn from day to night here?”

Chloe, surprised by the sudden question (because seriously? After that disastrous dinner, and everything else, _that’s_ the first thing her sister asks her?) whipped her head to stare at her sister’s side profile. “What?”

The older woman gestured out towards the square just visible outside the castle’s wall. “I never stopped to think about it, but this place is underground. How the hell is there light during the day and darkness at night?”

“The Tiger’s Eye, our runestone. When my mother and the council agreed to hide Halfmoon, they used the runestone to do it. It basically just simulates day and night repeatedly every day.”

“Huh. That’s…actually really cool. Where’s the runestone?”

Chloe turned, leaning her lower back against the rail, the cool of the stone seeping through her clothes and into her fur as she crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s above the castle, in the tower. You can see it from the square if you know where to look.”

The princess curiously watched her sister nod, seemingly content with the brief explanation she’d given the older woman. “What are you doing here, Catra?”

Catra chuckled, knowing that she could only stall for so long before they started talking about the heavy stuff, turning to smirk at her little sister. “What? You don’t want to spend time with me? That kinda stings.”

Golden eyes narrowed slightly. “That’s…that’s not what I meant.”

“Relax, princess. I’m just messing with you. I came out here because I thought we could talk. Figured it was probably overdue.”

“You want to talk? Why?”

Catra straightened herself up, sighing loudly. “Geeze, you’re not gonna make this easy, are you? I want to know why you and C’yra don’t get along. Your all’s relationship, it reminds me of the one I had with the woman who basically raised me in the Horde. It made me do a lot of really stupid and shitty things and what kind of sister would I be if I didn’t try and keep that from happening with you two?”

“Oh.”

After a moment or two of watching her younger sister visibly struggle with words, Catra was beginning to have seconds thoughts about this. Maybe they weren’t ready for such a heavy load, hell this was technically the first time they were speaking to each other, what was she thinking? She was going about this thing all wrong. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I don’t want to force you to talk about something you’re uncomfortable with.”

“No, it’s not that. I want to talk to you, Catra. I just…I don’t know where to start? Mom and I, we’re not close, obviously. We haven’t been since you were taken. She’s just…I get that losing you was hard on her. I understand her feelings but nothing I do is good enough for her. I’m a screw up, I was never going to be the picture-perfect princess you were going to be,” the younger woman hesitated slightly, seeing her sister wince. “That came out, wrong. I didn’t mean it like that.”

The older brunette waved her sister’s concerns away. “Don’t worry about it. Besides, I don’t think I would have lived up to her expectations either. I’m kind of a screw up, too.”

“What? No way.”

Catra raised an eyebrow, a small smile playing on her lips. “Did you fight against your best friend and love of your life for three years for very stupid, very selfish reasons? Or get imprisoned by sociopathic galactic overlord who almost destroyed the universe only to be saved by your eight-foot-tall warrior girlfriend that you saved the universe with? Or the big one, where you find out your entire life was a lie, and you have a family that you feel like you don’t belong with and you’re secretly terrified of screwing it up with them?”

Chloe matched her sister’s look, except her smile was tinged with sadness as she uncrossed her arms from her chest. “No, but I did sleep with a dude I’ve never met the night I broke up with my girlfriend, found out I was pregnant, almost died giving birth and then spent the first year of my daughter’s life doing absolutely anything that I could that brought me to the brink of death _again_ , all because I fucked up as a kid and got my big sister taken by a psycho bitch and now our mother hates me because of it.”

The two brunettes stared at each other for a few seconds before cackling with laughter, the absurdity of the situation only forcing them to laugh harder. They were both broken, each by different things, but nevertheless broken together.

After composing themselves, Chloe ran a hand up and down her arm, trying to find the right words that she wanted to say to her sister. “You know, you don’t have to worry about making us like you, Catra. You shouldn’t put that much pressure on yourself.”

The older brunette smiled slightly, thankful that her sister was putting the effort into this conversation. They were apparently more alike than Catra originally thought, both of them insecure and good at hiding it. “Yeah, give it time. I’ll eventually do something stupid and you’ll hate me or whatever.”

“Don’t count on it. If there’s one good thing I did in my life it was Mia, and that kid is a good judge of character. She hasn’t stopped talking or asking about you since yesterday. She even asked me last night if she could get her hair cut to look like yours. If she likes you, I guess you’re good enough to keep around.”

Catra’s heart melted at the admission, the idea that her niece loved her, thought so highly of her that she wanted to get a matching haircut, made her chest feel warm and fuzzy. It was a feeling she knew was a sense of belonging, of happiness and one that she thought she would only find in her favorite blonde and their friends. “I, uh…that’s cute. I’m glad she likes me. I was kinda freaking out thinking that she might not. I didn’t even know if she knew who I was.”

“She knows. I used to tell her stories about us when we were kids. Or at least the things I can remember.”

“Why?”

Chloe shrugged, purposefully turning her face away from her sister. “You’re gonna laugh at me if I tell you.”

“What? No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you will.”

The older brunette groaned good naturedly, dramatically flopping herself against the stone rail. “Oh my god, just tell me!”

“Alright, alright. You were…you were my hero when I was a kid, so when I had Mia, I wanted to make sure she had that too, even if you weren’t there, which is all my fault to begin with, so. She’s always loved the idea of you, so it’s not a surprise that she loves you now that you’re here.”

Catra blinked a few times, her sister’s words sinking in. “I thought you were joking when you said it was your fault earlier.”

The princess shook her head, refusing to look over at her sister and instead stare down at her boot-covered feet. “I wasn’t.”

“Well, that’s stupid. Why the hell would you blame yourself for what happened? You literally did nothing wrong, Chloe.”

“If I hadn’t went through the gate, you wouldn’t have been taken. You seriously can’t tell me that I’m not responsible for all of us thinking you were dead for seventeen years, why you can’t remember Halfmoon or us?”

Pushing herself off the railing, the older woman gently reached out to grasp her sister’s shoulders, turning the girl so that they were looking directly at each other. “I was there when it happened. I remember that, and none of it was your fault. I don’t blame you for what happened, so if that’s the root of all your guilt, then again, I think it’s stupid. Besides, I never would have met Adora if I hadn’t been taken to the Horde. You might not have had Mia. Listen, I’ve spent a lot of my time being too damn stubborn to leave the past behind and move forward. I don’t want to do that here, not now, not with any of you. The best we can do now is just…live. I don’t blame you and you shouldn’t blame yourself.”

The princess surprised them both by taking a quick step forwards, wrapping her arms around her sister’s torso and squeezing slightly. Catra tensed at first, eventually relaxing and returning the hug just as tight. It was something she figured she could get used to. Just as long as no one thought they could just randomly come up and touch her, that wouldn’t happen. Not if they wanted claw marks at least. But this, for her sister, she would manage.

Eventually the two pulled away, both of them laughing lightly as they stepped away from each other, both women unsure of where to go from here. It had been an emotional night, and neither one knew how long they’d been outside on the balcony, although the square below them was now completely empty save for the occasional guard passing through.

“I should probably head back inside. I usually check on Mia before I go to bed.”

“Yeah, go, that’s cool. I didn’t mean to keep you out here so long.”

Chloe smiled, bumping her sister’s shoulder with hers playfully. “Don’t be. This was good. I…I defiantly needed this.”

Catra returned the gesture, earning herself a laugh from her younger sibling. “Same. I’ll see ya tomorrow?”

“I’ll see you in the morning, Catra. Goodnight.”

The older woman watched as her younger sister disappeared around the corner of the hallway, the smile never leaving her face and feeling much lighter than the magicat had in a while. “Goodnight, sis.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang heads back to Brightmoon with Chloe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry to have such a gap between updates. It's been of and on weather where I live and I've come down with my annual sickness around this time of year, which sucks considering I was also sick last week. But hey, what can you do? 
> 
> It's currently 2 a.m. here, and my cold medicine is making me foggy so you'll have to excuse any typos or grammar mistakes. I hope to have the next chapter up soon, by at least Thursday if I can. I'm excited about these next ones, as the princess alliance is going to meet Chloe and Halfmoon is going to be brought back up topside! Also, I'm introducing Chloe's love interest in the next few chapters, which I'm totally stoked for! I think you're all going to like her, so stay tuned. Stay awesome and let me know what you all think! 
> 
> Love you, guys!

“Good morning.”

The dining room’s occupants all turned their heads towards the queen as she entered. C’yra had decided to forgo her usual attire, instead opting for more the more casual appearance of her training outfit.

The queen was offered a few good mornings or hellos from Adora and the others, both of her daughters choosing to only glance up (Catra did give her a slight nod) before turning back towards their respective breakfasts without so much as uttering a word. It made C’yra’s heart clench uncomfortably, knowing that her children were upset with her. That they had every right to be angry and silent, she deserved every second of this.

C’yra wasn’t a fool. She knew of the distance she had created between herself and her youngest daughter. Even during all these years, when she used the excuse of Catra’s disappearance and her presumed death, she knew that she was doing just that…making excuses. She just hadn’t been able to cope with the idea of losing either of her children. Losing Catra had almost killed her, both emotionally and physically (her scars pulled and stretched every day in reminder of this). If she had lost Chloe…C’yra knew she wouldn’t have survived, if she could even call the last seventeen years of her life surviving.

A part of the queen knew that, in some way, Catra hadn’t been the only daughter she lost that day. She had lost Chloe as well. She’d lost her youngest the second she decided to keep her heart as closed off to the girl for her own selfish reasons.

Sitting here, as her husband squeezed her hand in silent apology (because Ori had been one of the few to know exactly how damaged she’d become over the years and could always read her like an open book), with her daughters barely acknowledging her existence…it was breaking C’yra as if she was made entirely of glass.

Ori, thankfully, cleared his throat. The kind gad noticed his daughter’s silence from the moment they entered the dining room. He had stayed behind last night, to silently observe his daughters’ conversation from afar, smiling as he watched the two interact. It was sight he was sure he’d never see in this lifetime. Granted, he never thought he’d see his oldest daughter again, let alone watch both of his girls together again.

He understood their need for caution around their mother and that he had silently accepted his role as peacekeeper yet again. “Do you all have any plans for the day?”

Adora glanced between her friends and her partner before turning her attention fully to the king. “Actually, we were needing to speak with you both about something. We didn’t exactly plan to…discover everything that we did when we came looking for Halfmoon.”

The king raised an eyebrow, his golden eyes settling on his oldest. “You’re leaving.”

Glimmer spoke up, noticing that the royal family were all sharing looks of panic on their faces. “Only for a few days. I can’t leave Brightmoon for long, so Bow and I will be returning. Catra and Adora both agreed to come back and stay a little longer, though.”

Adora blushed slightly, realizing that she hadn’t exactly worded that the way she wanted to. “Right. Sorry. We just need to gather some things. Clothes and stuff. It’s only a half day’s walk to Brightmoon. We would be back in about a day or two.”

Much to the surprise of everyone at the table, C’yra was the first one to speak up in agreement. “Of course. We didn’t mean to keep you all from your duties. Are you both sure returning is something you want to do?”

Adora and Catra shared a look before the blonde entwined their hands under the table, the two women sharing a small smile. “We’re sure. The restoration projects are going smoothly, most of what I could do as She-Ra has already been done. The kingdoms can handle things on their own for a while. Plus, they can always send for me if they need She-Ra.”

Mismatched eyes glanced over towards her parents, softening slightly. “If it’s okay with you, we’d like to come back and stay for a while.”

C’yra smiled at her eldest daughter, nodding. “Of course it’s okay with us. We’d honestly love to have you here, to get to know you more.”

Seemingly content with that, everyone went back to their meals, most of the tension in the room now was much more manageable than it had been last night and even less thick than this morning. If there was one thing that every person in the room could agree with, it was that now that everyone had found each other, they weren’t letting go anytime soon.

“You know, if you all are going to be heading back to Brightmoon this could be a perfect opportunity to discuss Halfmoon rejoining the surface world.”

C’yra watched, specifically looking towards the other queen, as everyone’s attention was once again on her. It was true, after all. When she had made the decision to shield Halfmoon from the Horde and recede from the Rebellion, she had wanted to protect her daughter. She had just found out she was pregnant with Chloe when the council had agreed with her proposal. Now that the war was over, that the Horde was gone, she saw no further use for keeping her people hidden. She also thought that rejoining the topside world would only allow her oldest daughter easier access to them. She didn’t expect Catra to stay in Halfmoon forever. Her daughter had her own life that she had made outside of this place.

Glimmer seemed to be pondering the words, a small smile playing on her face. “You want to bring Halfmoon back up?”

C’yra nodded, leaning back in her chair. “It’s the most logical thing to do. Our runestone is only simulating day-to-day life here. Many of my people have grew up never seeing the sky or anything other than these stone walls. Now that the threat of the Horde is out of the way, I see no point in hiding us any longer. We could use this trip you all are making back to Brightmoon as a way to speak to the other kingdoms, see if they would be apposed to us emerging and reclaiming our lands.”

Bow smiled politely, slightly raising his hand as he interjected into the conversation between the two queens. “From what I read in the journals and old maps, most of where Halfmoon used to be is still sitting untouched by the other kingdoms. The only kingdom you’d probably have to speak and make terms with is Plumeria and Perfuma is always on the side of peace and stuff. It shouldn’t be too difficult to accomplish.”

Glimmer squeezed Bow’s arm, turning her attention back the magicat queen. “We could request an audience with Perfuma and then the alliance. You’d need to send a representative with us, though.”

“I think Chloe is more than capable of doing that.”

The princess, who had been silent through the entirety of the meal so far glanced up at her mother’s words, meeting the woman’s gaze, slightly confused by the whole thing. “You want me to go? To speak on Halfmoon’s behalf?”

“Only if you want to.”

Chloe’s mind was reeling, wondering if she had woken up in some alternate reality where her and her mother suddenly got along. This was certainly the longest they had gone sharing words without arguing. In fact, if Chloe thought about it long enough, she was sure this was the first time she and her mother were having a conversation in _years_. “Uh, yeah. I guess I can go. What about Mia?”

C’yra waved off her youngest, ignoring the looks she and her husband were giving her. She’d made a promise to herself last night after speaking with Catra, that she was going to try and start to mend things with her youngest daughter. This seemed like the best place to start. She knew Chloe would jump at the opportunity to represent Halfmoon in political meetings, the princess had been sitting in on council meetings the past few years and C’yra had to admit that her daughter was more than capable of handling this. “We can watch her. You’ll only be gone a few days at the most.”

Chloe nodded, still warily watching her mother out of the corner of her eye as she turned to look at the others on the opposite end of the table. “Do you guys mind if I tag along?”

* * *

Chloe had been so preoccupied with everything that she hadn’t really realized that this was her first time leaving Halfmoon, or at least farther than just outside the gate, and the amount of anxiety that came with it.

The princess had been visiting the gate at least once a year, slipping out under the cover of darkness and avoiding the path of the guards patrolling only to find herself in the exact spot she had lost her sister in so many years ago. It was a vice she hadn’t been able to drop, her own personal form of torment as the princess glanced out over the noisy form of the Fright Zone, thick, green smoke rolling up into the night sky as she shed a few silent tears for the loss she carried with her everywhere.

Standing just outside the gate now, watching as Adora and the others stepped through to the opposite side and onto Etherian soil, Chloe didn’t know what was stopping her. She had her sister back, the older woman was currently watching her from behind curiously, but something was stopping her from taking those last few steps. She knew that it would take a while to get rid of the guilt that she held for her sister’s disappearance, though she knew she would always carry around a small portion of it, but the princess couldn’t help but feel the overwhelming and familiar feeling settle in the pit of her stomach.

It also wasn’t helping that she was also tempted to turn back on her heels and head back towards Halfmoon, the image of her daughter’s confused and sad face as she explained that she was leaving for a few days permanently engraved in the forefront of her mind. It was the first time was leaving the toddler and it was all only adding to her want to run.

“Hey, you okay?”

The princess jumped slightly at the feeling of a hand settling on her shoulder, tearing her gaze away from the gate towards her sister’s mismatched eyes before looking away just as quickly. “Sorry. Yeah. I’m fine.”

“You do know you have to keep walking if you want to pass through the gate, right?”

When her sister gave no response Catra settled up beside the younger woman, straining her neck to catch the girl’s eyes. “What’s up?”

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit. You’ve been standing here for at least five minutes. Tell me what’s wrong.”

The princess was quiet for a few seconds before she fully turned towards her sister. “I just keep thinking about the last time we both were here.”

Understanding washed over Catra, the older woman quickly poking her head out through the gate to tell the others that they would be a minute. Chloe half expected them to question why, but they only received nods and the information that would wait for them at the edge of the Fright Zone.

Once the others were out of sight and earshot Catra turned her attention back to her younger sister, taking note of the girl’s body language now that they were away from the others. The princess’ ears were laying almost completely flat against her head, her tail curling around her own leg and arms crossed over herself defensively. It was stance that made her sister look so much younger than she usually did. “It’s okay that you’re anxious about being back here. That you have negative thoughts and associations with this spot, but what happened last time isn’t going to happen now. The Horde is gone and I’m fine. I’m not going anywhere.”

The older magicat stepped out past the gate, keeping one hand extended in a silent invitation towards her sister, watching as the younger woman stared at the offered hand for a few moments before taking it.

Without warning, Catra jerked on the hand in hers, successfully pulling her sister through the gate and forcing the princess to let out a noise of surprise that had her cackling. The look of annoyance that settled on her sister’s face only fueling her laughter more.

With a playful shove, Chloe took off down where the others were waiting for them, the three looking towards them with confused looks as the princess stalked down the path and leaving a still laughing Catra doubled over by the gate.

The trek back to Brightmoon was quiet, most of the group following the well-known path through the Whispering Woods with relative ease, only stopping when they realized Chloe had stopped to gawk at something every once in a while.

It was slightly funny, to watch the princess stumble over branches and through shrubbery, her golden eyes wide with curiosity as Chloe took everything in. It was much different now that the war was over. The last that Chloe could remember, the only thing that she had ever been privy to see was the Fright Zone and a glimpse of the Whispering Woods beyond that. Now, however, everything was covered with vines and foliage from the aftermath of the planet’s magic being released. It was overwhelming, to say the least, for someone who lived underground, and Chloe knew they were probably taking twice as long to reach Brightmoon but just couldn’t help it. There was so much see, so many new sounds and smells to take in and take note of.

“Are we swinging by Plumeria first?”

Glimmer shook her head, watching with amusement as Adora managed to catch the magicat princess as she tumbled over an exposed root, the younger woman too busy watching a the small, magic-filled orbs of light falling around them rather than pay attention to where she was walking. Chloe reminder the queen of Catra, in a way. They had all spent a good week introducing the magicat to things in Brightmoon after the war, laughing at the woman’s reactions to food and other things. It looked like they were going to get to experience that once again. “Perfuma is due back in Brightmoon for our monthly check-ins any time now. We can speak to her then about everything and then call up the others for a formal meeting.”

Behind the group, Adora was helping the princess gain her footing again, the woman’s cheeks tinged with blush as she quietly apologized to the hero. “Don’t worry about it. It’s a lot to take in, I know. It took me a few weeks to get used to everything myself.”

The two fell back into step side-by-side, Chloe finally pulling herself together to at least pay attention to where they were walking this time. The others were talking quietly amongst themselves a few feet ahead of them, and Chloe silently wondered why the blonde was sticking back here with her (and fidgeting) rather than walking with the others. “Is everything okay, Adora?”

The blonde nodded, probably too enthusiastically judging by the look her girlfriend’s sister was giving her. “Pft. Yeah. I’m great. Uh, I was just wondering if you could, maybe possibly…tell me if Halfmoon…hasanyspecificthingswithmarriageproposals?”

Adora watched as the princess blinked a few times, worried that she had rushed the words out too fast and the other woman hadn’t caught them before Chloe was giving her a small smile. “You thinking about asking my sister to marry you, Adora?”

“Yes? Is that okay?”

Chloe chuckled, gracefully jumping to one of the roots higher up off the ground, her attention fully on the conversation now. “Only if she says yes.”

Adora watched as the princess leapt from root to root, slightly jealous that being so agile came so naturally to her girlfriend and her sister. If the blonde tried that, she would only end up on her face with a bruised ego. “I’m kind of hoping that will be her answer.”

“Does this have anything to do with what my mother mentioned at dinner?”

The blonde shook her head, shrinking under the princess’ narrowed eyes as the woman balanced herself from her perch, the brunette knowing that she had a slightly advantage over the hero from her height. “No. I’ve been thinking about proposing to her for a while. We’ve just been so busy with rebuilding and you know, finding out about Halfmoon.”

Chloe glanced up towards the other three, making sure that their attention was elsewhere before jumping down from the root she was standing on, landing on her feet in front of the blonde. “What have you go planned?”

“So you’re okay with this?”

The princess snorted, crossing her arms over her chest as she smirked at the blonde. “You don’t need my permission to marry her, Adora.”

“No, but if she says yes…”

Chloe, understanding where the blonde was going, only smiled a little brighter. “Adora, it would be an honor to be your sister-in-law. And I don’t think she’s going to reject you. Within the past few days it’s sickeningly apparent how much you two love each other. She’s an idiot if she says no, now tell me, what do you have planned so far?”

The two talked about Adora’s plans so far, how she intended to use her pin as her token of engagement and about how she wanted something slightly different from what Bow and Glimmer had told her of their engagement, the princess listening with rapt attention as they continued on through the woods.

“Halfmoon’s traditions are similar to Brightmoon’s. The exchanging of tokens and things like that. Have you thought about when you wanted to do it?”

Adora shook her head, steps falling a tad bit slower once she realized they were almost back in Brightmoon. “Not yet. I don’t want to overwhelm her right now.”

The princess reached out, giving the blonde’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Whenever you decide to do it, I’d be more than happy to help.”

Pulling back a few tree branches, Adora nodded once before revealing the familiar sight of Brightmoon, the reflection of the castle glistening in its reflection on the water surrounding it and giving the princess standing next to her a bright smile. “Definitely, but first things first. Welcome to Brightmoon.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe meets with alliance and spends some time with the other princesses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I am so sorry for the lack of updates, guys. With this winter storm coming through we've been out of power for a few days now and I was able to work on the chapter until my laptop died, but I haven't been able to post because of that. 
> 
> First off, I hope you all are staying safe out there. If any of you guys are in Texas, I'm keeping you all in my thoughts. It's terrible what Texas is going through and the officials refusing to do anything about it, pointing fingers and blaming others rather than offering their dying people aid...that literally makes me so fucking sick. Our state hasn't been much better. My hometown was basically completely frozen over and has been out of power or heat for almost two weeks now. My wife, who works down there at the hospital, as been gone for about that same amount of time. I haven't seen her or been able to talk to her much, just when she's at the hospital and manages to use their WIFI to call me (because thank the stars they have generators and have been able to run). I've been completely alone with our cats, but our power has only been out for about a week, so I can't really complain about it. Texas has it much worse than we do. 
> 
> Anyway, this chapter isn't as long as I usually try to get them. I was desperate to get something posted just in case we lose power again. I didn't want you all to think I was abandoning this story or something. This fucking weather has just got the whole world fucked up. 
> 
> We've got big plans for the upcoming chapters. We're meeting Chloe's love interest in the next chapter and Adora's proposal is coming up really soon. Thank you all for you continued love and support. It means the world to me. I hope you all are staying safe! Be careful, try and stay warm!

“Did they say they would be late?”

Adora shook her head, blue eyes shifting between the queen and the doors, waiting to see her girlfriend and the princess of Halfmoon to step through. Luckily enough for them, all but a few members of the alliance were in Brightmoon on various forms of business-related things. It hadn’t taken Glimmer long to pop over to the other kingdoms and get the others, since they all had agreed that they might as well just hold a meeting of the alliance and get everything out of the way. “No. They just said they’d be here. Do you think they’re okay?”

The group had split up not long after Glimmer left for Salineas, with Adora tagging along with Bow to gather what they would need for the meeting while Catra and Chloe had disappeared together, stating they would meet them at the start of the meeting…which had been almost fifteen minutes ago. Neither girl had made an appearance and Adora could tell the other princesses were getting restless waiting. Adora, Glimmer and Bow had given everyone as little details as possible, figuring that Catra would want to explain everything herself.

Bow, always the one to see the glass as half full, reached over and placed a hand on the blonde’s arm in an attempt to keep her from panicking too much. “If anything, they were probably goofing around and lost track of time. They deserve this time to spend with each other. I’m sure they’ll be here soon, Adora.”

“If we’re just waiting on Catra, can’t we just go ahead and get this meeting started? Adora can fill her in on all the details later,” Frosta questioned from her seat where she’d been creating small designs in the ice she created on the table in front of her.

The blonde laughed nervously, looking out at all their friends as she rubbed the back of her neck. “Well, we aren’t waiting on _just_ Catra. It’s Catra and our guest, the reason why we’re actually holding the meeting.”

Mermista raised an eyebrow, leaning forward on the table to groan at the sheer amount of boredom. “Who is this mystery guest that we’ve been waiting on for an _hour_?”

From across the table, Perfuma rolled her eyes good naturedly at the water princess. “We’ve only been waiting for fifteen minutes, Mermista.”

The princess in question let out another dramatic groan, slumping down in her seat at the words. “Well, it _feels_ like an hour.”

Before anyone else could respond, or complain, the door to the meeting room opened and Catra slid in, leaving the door cracked behind her. Her mismatched eyes scanned the room before they landed on the familiar face of her girlfriend, the apology clear in her eyes. “Sorry. We got a little sidetracked while walking through the town.”

Chloe slid into the room after her sister, the door closing with a soft click as she stood before the others in the room, who were all staring at her like she was an alien (which confused her slightly, because…didn’t Melog live here with her sister and the others) with three heads. She then remembered that her sister was the only magicat to have been seen in a rather long time, so their reaction to her presence was understood.

From out of the corner of her eye Catra could see some of the other princesses’ reactions morphing from confusion to questioning, the magicat clearing her throat and pulling everyone’s attention towards her. “Okay, this is going to sound crazy and weird, so no questions until after I explain everything. Got it?”

After Catra received nods or other forms of response from the occupants in the room she started telling them everything. From the dreams she’d been having to finding out about the block on her memories, to Halfmoon and her family and why they had gathered the alliance together.

After she had finished, the room completely silent, Catra sent Adora a panicked look. The feline had expected a thousand and one reactions, but silence hadn’t been one of them. Did that mean they were going to oppose Halfmoon rejoining them on Etheria’s surface? Was she going to have to _leave_ her new-found family behind?

Before any more panicked thoughts could invade the brunette’s mind, Scorpia was up and out of her seat, sending the chair flying backward onto the ground as her tail whipped through the air. The large woman was soon standing in front of the two magicats, an excited squeal leaving her body as she swung her pinchers around Chloe. “Oh my stars, Wildcat, you have a _little sister_! This is so awesome!”

Catra wanted to laugh at the look on her sister’s face, only one of the princess’ golden eyes visible from the tangle of her friend’s arms but refrained from doing so. She thought she had most likely worn the same expression upon being introduced to the former Force Captain and the woman’s grip. “Okay, Scorp, I just got her back. Let’s not break her just yet, okay?”

The taller woman nodded seriously, gently placing the princess back down on her feet. “Right. So sorry about that. I’m working on respecting personal space.”

Chloe smiled slightly at the taller woman, absentmindedly rubbing a hand across her ribs that were aching slightly from the crushing hug she’d just received. “No, it’s fine. It’s nice to meet you, Scorpia.”

Turning to face the rest of the room, the princess straightened her shoulders. “It’s nice to meet all of you, actually. I’ve heard great things about each and every one of you. Thank you for agreeing to this meeting, I understand you all have very busy schedules and lives.”

At these words, the other princess all welcomed Chloe with open arms, the meeting going off without a hitch. Perfuma had agreed to the rezoning of her kingdom, Glimmer also giving Halfmoon free domain of what was left of the Fright Zone while Chloe offered Halfmoon’s help in the rebuilding efforts of the other kingdoms and establishing a few trade roots as well. Overall, it went much better than Chloe had been expecting. Adora and her sister’s friends were nice people and fair leaders, treating the princess as if she belonged here in the first place and not as a late contender to the game.

“So, Chloe, what powers do your people derive from your runestone?”

The princess was slightly caught off guard by the question, her golden eyes scanning the other princesses looking for the owner of the voice, someone that had introduced themselves as Netossa earlier in the meeting. “Well, each queen that takes the throne and connects with the Tiger’s Eye becomes a therianthrope.”

“A what now?”

“A therianthrope. Specifically magicats of royal descent that are connected to the runestone have the ability to transform into a larger feline. Like my mother, for instance, can turn into a black panther. Each form is different for each queen.”

Adora leaned forward in her chair, blue eyes widened in curiosity. “You can turn into a giant cat?!”

Chloe smiled at the blonde’s excitement, shaking her head. “No, not right now. I’m not queen, yet. Or possibly ever now. Usually that’s a rite for the first born, and our familial situation is more…complicated.”

Catra, who had been sitting between her sister and girlfriend, perked up at this information, slightly concerned by the younger magicat’s words. “Whoa, hold a second. I absolutely do _not_ want to be queen! I’ve barely wrapped my mind around the fact that I’m apparently a _princess_.”

Catra suppressed a shiver as she mumbled out the word, the feline never thinking she would refer to herself as something she’d spent most of her life trying to destroy. Something she’d been taught and brainwashed into thinking was bad and evil. It hadn’t yet occurred to the feline that because she was the older sibling that there would a possibility of her becoming queen. She had just assumed that Chloe would go ahead and continue on that path, because she definitely wasn’t going to do it.

“You technically don’t have to do it. If you were an only child you’d be forced to, more or less. Luckily for you I’ve been training for this since I was six.”

Mismatched eyes raked over her sister’s form, frowning slightly. “Yeah, but do you want to do it?”

The younger woman shrugged. “Someone has to.”

Adora, who had been watching the interaction between the two magicats cleared her throat before standing up and clapping once, successfully pulling everyone’s attention towards her and away from her girlfriend and (hopefully) future sister-in-law. “Not to be the bearer of bad news, but we also have something else that we need to tell everyone. Until Halfmoon can be brought back up the surface and things kind of settle down a little more, Catra and I will be staying in Halfmoon. She-Ra will still be available to you all any time you need her, Glimmer knows where the entrance to Halfmoon is. But I don’t know exactly how long we’ll be away, and I thought it might be fun for all of us to spend some time together before we head back?”

With that thought and information at hand, the alliance agreed to spend the rest of the day in Brightmoon, each shouting out their intended and desired activities that they wanted to do before the group settled on a few games of ice ball.

Catra, who had vetoed to play during the game and was instead sitting on the sidelines (because she absolutely _loved_ watching Adora all sweaty and using her muscles to play and there was no way she was missing that), kept a skeptical eye out (when she wasn’t staring at Adora, because… _muscles_ ) on her younger sister, who Netossa and Spinnerella had taken under their wing to explain the game.

While Catra hadn’t given much thought to how she now had the right to take the Halfmoon throne as queen, she hadn’t thought what that would mean for her sister either. As much as the magicat didn’t want to become queen, she didn’t want her sister to sacrifice any more of herself just as much. The young woman had already been through so much, had given so much up to keep and raise Mia and had taken her responsibility as the crowned princess with a head held high. Catra could tell how hard her sister had worked to gain the respect that she had amongst the guards and the castle staff and while she had yet to see her sister interact with the kingdom’s inhabitants, she could only assume that they loved the golden-eyed princess as much as everyone else did.

_Chloe deserved the chance to do something for herself for once._

The thought made Catra’s stomach clench uncomfortably. Here she was, not even a full year later, convincing yet another person she cared about to think of themselves for once. Chloe reminded her so much of Adora in the way the princess acted so selfishly towards others, always willing to give everything and take every blow that came their way without ever asking for anything in return.

As the princess in question spiked the ice ball into the ground at Frosta’s feet, the magicat letting out a victorious yell as her teammates enveloped her into hugs or patted her on the back, Catra vowed to herself that she would step in before she let herself get into another instance like at the Heart. The brunette had worked her ass off to remind Adora that it was okay to think of herself for once…she would do the same for her little sister.


End file.
